LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

JUL  2  6  ?004 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

The  Story  of  Christ 
and  His  Apostles 


A  PLEASING  NARRATIVE  IN  EASY  LANGUAGE  OF  THE 

WALKS  AND  TALKS  WITH  JESUS  INCLUDIN(; 

LIVES  OF  THE  APOSTLES 


ILLUSTRA  IKD  VVI  lH  NEARLY  TWO  HUNDRED  REPRODUCTIONS  OK 
FAMOUS  PAINTINGS  AND  ORIGINAL  DRAWIN(;S 


BY 

RKV.  JOHN  RUSK,  PH.D., 

AUTHOR  OK  BKAUTIKUI,  BIBLE  STORIES,  LIKE  OK   1'.   DkWMTT 
TALMAGE,  ETC. 


^R>f  OF  PRlWCf^ 


■^twr 


^^OLOGICM  S^^'^^ 


Copyright,  1912 

BY  L.  H.  WALTER 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


INTRODUCTION  TO   PARENTS 

"Feed  my  lambs"  were  the  words  of  Je'sus  to  his  faithful 
A-pos'tle  Pe'ter,  just  prior  to  His  ascension  into  heaven  nearly 
two  thousand  years  ago. 

"Feed  my  lambs"  has  gone  ringing  down  through  all  the 
nineteen  hundred  years  that  have  followed,  and  will  continue 
to  vibrate  until  all  lambs  have  been  gathered  into  the  fold  by 
the  good  Shepiierd  who  careth  for  every  sheep. 

"Feed  my  lambs"  are  the  burning  thoughts  of  every  mother, 
from  the  time  she  first  looks  into  the  tender  eyes  of  her  babe  un- 
til he  or  she  becomes  a  laughing  boy  or  girl  at  school,  or  even 
a  wearied  man  or  woman  of  the  world.  Her  prayer  uncon- 
sciously goes  out,  "Feed  my  lambs." 

God  bless  that  mother,  and  blessed  is  the  boy  and  girl  who 
early  comes  in  contact  with  a  child's  book  teaching  the  beautiful 
life  of  our  Sa'vior. 

Je'sus  was  a  boy  much  like  your  boy  and  mine.  His  life, 
though,  was  cut  short  at  thirty-three  years  of  age,  but  what  a 
life!    What  an  example!    What  an  inspiration! 

If  you  can  give  your  boy  but  one  book,  let  that  book  be  a 
personal  guide,  a  sweet  history  of  the  noblest  and  purest  soul 
that  ever  lived,  a  book  of  heroism,  of  noble  deeds,  of  self  denials, 
of  great  power,  great  temptations,  great  sorrows,  and  great 
victories. 

Dr.  John  Rusk,  the  author  of  this  book,  seeks  not  only  to 
instil  in  the  life  of  the  little  folks  the  love  of  Je'sus,  but  a  de- 
sire on  their  part  to  so  live  as  to  prove  a  blessing  to  their  com- 
panions and  the  world  at  large. 

5 


6  Introductory  to  Parents 

May  this  beautiful  Life  of  Je'sus  go  out  to  all  people;  much 
as  Je'sus  sent  out  the  Dis-ci'ples  with  the  command  to  teach  all 
nations,  heal  the  sick  and  do  good  to  all  humanity.  Our  bless- 
ings go  with  the  volume.  Most  sincerely, 

The  Publishers. 


PREFACE 

Paul  and  Pau-line',  two  cliildren  destined  to  do  a  great 
work  in  the  world,  lived  in  the  country  not  far  from  a  great 
city.  We  can  get  a  clear  idea  of  their  natures  as  they  stood 
before  the  window  one  cold  morning  just  after  Christ'mas  in 
the  year  1909,  patiently  waiting  for  their  father  who  had  gone 
with  the  light  wagon  to  bring  Uncle  John  from  the  station. 

Un'cle  John  was  a  minister.  He  lived  in  the  big  city  and 
was  going  to  the  farm  for  rest.  When  the  children  saw  their 
father  driving  up  they  called  to  their  mother,  saying:  "Uncle 
John  has  come!"  then  ran  out  to  give  a  warm  welcome  to  their 
favorite  uncle. 

When  Uncle  John  had  been  there  but  a  few  days,  Paul  and 
Pau-line'  asked  him  if  he  woidd  tell  them  about  Je'sus,  to  whom 
they  had  prayed,  and  also  about  His  Dis-ci'ples,  and  what  the 
Dis-ci'ples  did  after  Je'sus  went  to  Heav'en.  Uncle  John  said 
he  w^ould,  that  he  was  going  to  stay  a  whole  year,  and  that  he 
would  begin  the  following  morning — the  first  Sunday  of  the 
new  year — and,  if  they  wished,  they  could  have  two  lessons 
each  Sun'day,  one  in  the  morning  and  one  in  the  afternoon. 

So  it  was  agreed,  and  in  the  pages  following  we  have  the 
story  of  Je'sus  and  the  A-pos'tles  told  in  one  hundred  and  four 
lessons,  just  as  Paul  and  Pau-line'  learned  it  from  Uncle  John. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I      The  Birthday  of  Jesus .  .    17 

II      Jesus   Eight  Days  Old . 25 

III     The  Wise  Men   28 

IV      The  Homes  and  Children  of  Nazareth 32 

V     Jesus   at   Twelve   Years   of  Age 36 

VI      Jesus'  Life  in  Nazareth 43 

VII     The  Baptism  of  Jesus 46 

VIII      The  Temptations  of  Jesus 50 

IX      Jesus  Calls  His   First  Apostles -. 52 

X      The   First  Miracle 55 

XI      Cleansing  the  Temple 59 

XII      The  Good  Nobleman 63 

XIII      Jesus   at   Jacob's   Well GG 

XIV      Jesus  at  the  Old  Home,  Nazareth 70 

XV      Looking  on  While  Jesus  Performs  Miracles 73 

XVI      The  Twelve  Apostles  and  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 77 

XVII      A    Day    of    Miracles 81 

XVII T      Jesus    at    Nain 81 

XIX     Jesus    Slighted    at    a    Feast 88 

XX     A  Sermon  in  Parables  and  a  Day  of  Wonder . 92 

XXI  Jesus  Rebuked  for  Mingling  With  Publicans  and  Sinners.  .  .    98 

XXII      Healed    By   Faith 101 

XXIII      Jesus  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda 105 

XXIV     Death  of  John  the  Baptist lOS 

XXV      Jesus  Walking  on  the  Water . 1 1 1 

XXVI     Jesus  Loses  Some  of  His  Friends m 

9 


10  Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXVII  The  Prodigal   Son 117 

XXVIII  The  Sabbath  Day  and  How  Jesus  Looked  Upon  It 121 

XXIX  Washing  Away  Sin 123 

XXX  How  to  Pray,  Healing  the  Deaf,  Dumb  and  Blind 12'J 

XXXI  Setting  a  Trap  for  Jesus 130 

XXXII  Jesus  Among  Heathen  People.  . 133 

XXXIII  The  Most  Important  Hours  in  His  Life 136 

XXXIV  The   Transfiguration  of  Jesus 140 

XXXV  After  the  Transfiguration 143 

XXXVI  The  Money  in  the  Fish's  Mouth 145 

XXXVII  Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacles 148 

XXXVIII  The  Man  Born  Blind 151 

XXXIX  Farewell   to    Galilee    153 

XL  The  Healing  of  the  Lepers 156 

XLI  Eating  Bread  in  Heaven 158 

XLII  Dives   and   Lazarus 160 

XLIII  The  Good  Samaritan 1 62 

XLIV  A  Rest  in  Bethany 164 

XLV  A  Winter-time  Feast 167 

LXVI  The   Rich   Young  Ruler    172 

XLVII  The  Raising  of  Lazarus  from  the  Dead 175 

XLVIII  At  Jericho 178 

XLIX  In  the  House  of  Simon,  the  Leper. 181 

L  Palm    Sunday 183 

LI  The  Barren  Fig  Tree 185 

LII  A  Day  of  Parables 187 

LIII  The    Widow's    Mite 189 

LIV  The  Bargain  of  Judas 192 

LV  Judas  Withdraws  from  Jesus 194 

LVI  The  Lord's   Supper 197 

LVII  Gethsemane    200 

LVIII  Jesus  Before  the  Council 203 


Table  of  Contents  11 

CIIAPTEH  PAGE 

LIX      Jesus  and  Pontius  Pilate '..........,. 208 

LX      The  Crucifixion  of  Jesus 213 

LXI      The    First    Easter 220 

LXII      Jesus    Appears    Unto    Mary. 223 

LXIII      The   Walk  to   Emmaus 225 

LXI V      In   Galilee  Again .  228 

LXV      Jesus'  Last  Meeting  on  Earth 230 

LXVI     The  Ascension  of  Jesus 232 

LXVII      The  Beginning  of  the  Christian  Church 235 

LXVIII      Day   of   Pentecost    237 

LXIX     Appointing  the  Deacons 241 

LXX     The  Place  Where  the  Apostles  Were  Raised 243 

LXXI     Peter's  Boyhood 245 

LXXII     How  Peter  Received  His  Name 247 

LXXIII      Peter  at  the  Gate  of  the  Temple 248 

LXXIV     Peter  Purifying  the  Church 251 

LXXV     Peter  Healing  the  Sick 253 

LXXVI      Peter   and  the  Magician 255 

LXXVII      Peter  at  Lydda  and  Joppa 257 

LXXVIII      Peter's  Vision 259 

LXXIX      Peter   in   Prison 261 

LXXX      Peter's    Last    Days     263 

LXXXI      The    Apostle    Andrew 265 

LXXXII      The  Parentage  and  Boyhood  of  James  and  John 268 

LXXX  I II       The   Apostle   James,   the   Brother  of  John 270 

LXXXIV      Characteristics  of  the  Apostle  John 273 

LXXXV     John's  Work  as  an  Apostle 274 

LXXXVI      Writings  of  the  Apostle  John 276 

LXXXVII      Last  Days  of  the  Apostle  John 278 

LXXXVIII     The  Apostle  Philip    279 

LXXXIX     The  Apostle  Nathanael   283 

XC      The  Apostle  Thomas    286 


12  Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XCI      The  Apostle  Matthew    289 

XCII      The  Apostle  James^  the  Son  of  Alpheus 292 

XCIII      Judas  Iscariot 295 

XCIV     Judas  Not  Iscariot 297 

XC  V     The  Apostle  Simon  Zelotes 298 

XC VI      The  Apostle  Mathias 300 

XCVII      The  Early  Life  of  Paul 302 

XCXIII     Paul's  Work  in  Antioch 305 

XCIX      Paul's  First  Missionary   Tour 307 

C      Paul's  Second  Missionary  Journe}'^ 310 

CI      Paul's  Third  Missionary  Journey 313 

CII      Last  Days   of  Paul 314 

cm      James,  the  Brother  of  Jesus 318 

CIV     Sanctuary  Habit 320 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

And  the  Angels  Taught  Him Frontispiece 

The  Holy  Family 8 

A  Street  in  Nazareth 18 

Nazareth    20 

The  Annunciation 21 

Winter  in  Palestine 22 

The  Magi  on  the  Way 2  i 

Field   of   the    Shepherds 26 

Reading  the  Law 28 

The  Wise  Men  from  the  East 29 

Flight  into  Egypt 30 

An  Early  Student 32 

The   Boyhood   of   Christ 33 

Jesus   on   the   Way   to   Jerusalem 37 

Judean  Hills  and  Valley  of  Hinnom 38 

Finding  of  Christ  in  the  Temple 40 

Outer  Court  of  the  Temple 41 

The  Return  from  Jerusalem 42 

Church   of   the    Annunciation — Nazareth 44 

A  Quiet  Pool  in  the  River  Jordan 46 

John  the  Baptist  in  the  Wilderness 47 

Mount  of   Temptation 51 

One  of  the  Disciples  Whom  Jesus  Loved 53 

The  Wedding  at  Cana  and  Jesus  First  Miracle 56 

Fountain  in  the  Sechem  Valley 58 

Christ  Cleansing  the  Temple 60 

13 


14  Illustrations 

PAG  JO 

Damascus   Gate — Jerusalem 62 

Nicodemus    Visits    Jesus   at   Night 63 

Jacob's    Well     64 

Christ  and  the  Woman  of  Samaria 65 

Ruins   of   Samaria 67 

The  Woman's  Return  from  the  Well 68 

Ruins  of  Joseph's  Home — Nazareth 71 

A  Street  in   Nazareth 72 

Sea  of  Galilee  (near  Capernium) 73 

Jesus  Preaching  to  the  People 75 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount 78 

Christ  and  the  Fisherman 80 

The  Leper 82 

Ruins   at   Nain 84 

Raising  the  Widow's  Son 86 

Jesus  at  House  of  Simon 89 

Tomb  of  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre 91 

Sea  of  Galilee  (near  Capernium) 93 

The  Evil  One  Sowing  Tares 94 

Jesus  Stills  the  Waves 95 

"Take  up  Thy  Bed  and  Walk" 99 

Weeping   Over   Jairus'    Daughter 102 

Christ  Calling  James   and  John 108 

Christ  and  Peter 112 

At  the  House  of  Matthew 116 

The  Prodigal  Son 119 

By  the  Sea  of  Galilee 127 

"Follow    Me" 1 30 

A    Rabbi 134 

Abide  With   Us    137 

Ruins    at    Bethsaida     138 

The  Transfiguration 141 


Illustrations  15 

I'AGE 

Summit  of  Mt.  Carmel 1 13 

Tribute  Money 1  iG 

Existing  Walls  of  Jerusalem — Northwest  Side 148 

Battlements   Upon   the   Roofs — Jerusalem ]  .5 1 

Sea  of  Galilee — Tiberias ]  /i  !< 

Jesus  at  the  Home  of  Mary  and  Martha 165 

Damascus   from  the  East  Gate 166 

Panorama  of  Jerusalem 167 

Pilgrims  Going  to  Jerusalem 168 

Blessing  Little  Children 171 

Jesus  and  the  Rich  Young  Man 1 73 

Jesus    Raising    Lazarus     176 

The  Widow's  Mite 1 90 

Jesus  Washes  Peter's  Feet 195 

The  Last  Supper 198 

The  Place  Where  the  Crown  of  Thorns  Was   Placed   On 199 

"Behold  He  is  at  Hand  That  Betrayeth  Me" 201 

Peter  Went  Out  and  Wept 204 

Roman  Soldiers   Taking  Christ .• 205 

Behold  the  Man 206 

Christ    Before    Pilate    208 

The  Remorse  of  Judas 210 

Jesus'   Farewell   to   His   Mother 211 

Place  of  the  Flagellation 213 

Place  Where  the  Cross  Was  Placed  on  Jesus'  Shoulder 213 

Where  Christ  Sank  Under  Burden  of  the  Cross 213 

Where  Jesus  Leaned  for  Support 214 

Where  Jesus  Met  His  Mother 214 

Where  Christ  Addressed  the  Lamenting  Women 214 

The   Place   of  the  Betrayal 215 

Down  From  the  Cross ^^"^ 

The  Burial  of  Christ 218 


10  Illustrations 

PAGE 

He    Has    Risen 221 

John  and  the  Mother  of  Jesus 222 

Jesus  Appears  Unto  M<ary 223 

On   the    Road   to    Emmaus    226 

The    Ascension 233 

Ruins  of  Christian  Churcli  at  Buroth 235 

Nave  of  Church  of  the  Nativity 236 

Church  of  the  Nativity — Bethlehem 237 

Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre — Jerusalem    238 

Mount   Olivet 239 

Exterior  of  the  Tomb  of  Christ    242 

Apostle  Peter 249 

Apostle  Andrew    266 

Apostle  James — Brother  of  John 271 

Apostle  John 275 

Apostle  Philip     281 

Apostle  Nathanacl    284 

Apostle  Thomas    287 

Apostle  Matthew    291 

Apostle  James — Son  of  Alpherus 293 

Apostle  Bartholomew 296 

Apostle    Simon 299 

Apostle  Paul 309 


Dr.  Rusk's 

Story  of  Christ  and 
His  Apostles 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  BIRTHDAY  OF  JE'SUS 

Morning  JLesson—Firs-.  Sunday  '*::  January 

When  Sun'cay  morning  came,  IJncie  JOhn  drew  up  the  big 
arm  chair  near  tae  fire  place  where,  on  one  side  Paul  seated  him- 
self, and  Pau-line'  on  the  other.  Uncle  John  opened  the  family 
Bible  saying:  "Thi?  is  a  blessed  book  and  we  are  going  to  have 
a  delightful  time  talking  about  Je'sus,  but  before  beginning, 
this  being  Sunday,  the  first  day  of  the  week,  I  want  to  ask  you 
why  we  keep  it  holy?" 

"That,"  said  Paul,  "is  because  Je'sus  rose  from  the  dead 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week."  "Right,  my  boy.  We  may  also 
say  that  Sun'day  is  the  birthday  of  the  Church,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "as  it  is  also  the  birthday  of  the  world.  God,  you  know, 
began  to  create  the  world  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  which  is 
Sun'day. 

"Before  beginning  the  real  story  of  Je'sus'  life,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "I  think  we  ought  to  know  something  of  the  country  in 
which  Je'sus  lived.     This  country  is  so  far  away  and  has  had  so 

17 


18 


Tlic  liirtfi-da/j  of  Je'sus 


A  STREET  IN 
NAZARETH. 


many  names,  that  sometimes  I  fear  we  forget  to  study  it  as 
we  should. 

Each  name  given  it  signifies  a  different  history.  Long  ago 
when  God  talked  to  a  projDhet  about  this  land  He  called  it  'The 
Glory  of  all  Lands,'  and  gave  it  this  name  because  of  its  beauty 
and  fertility,  and  also  because  of  the  wonderful  works  He  had 
performed  there. 

"But  the  greatest  name  by  which  it  is  known  comes  from 
the  fact  that  Je'sus  lived  there.  His  life  was  so  holy  that  it  has 
come  to  be  known  as  the  'Ho'ly  Land.'  En'glish  speaking  peo- 
ple know  it  better  by  that  name  than  by  any  other. 

"Now,  a  country  so  famous  as  the  Holy  Land  is  supposed 
by  some  to  be  a  great  big  country;  but  all  great  men  have  not 
been  giants  like  Go-li'ath,  so  this  land  has  never  been  great  as 
regards  its  size,  but  great  because  of  its  history.  As  God  takes 
little  children  to  teach  great  truths,  so  He  took  a  little  land 
like  The  Ho'ly  Land  for  great  events. 


The  Birth' day  of  Je'sus  19 

"The  Holy  Land  has  had  a  great  history,  yet  after  all  it  is 
only  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  long  and  about  sixty-five 
miles  wide.    It  is  not  as  large  even  as  the  island  of  Cu'ba. 

"Within  The  Ho'ly  Land  though,  can  be  seen  hills,  valleys, 
rivers,  lakes,  deserts  and  seas. 

"In  the  vales  and  mountains,  by  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  in 
the  plains  and  on  the  shores  of  the  seas,  some  of  the  greatest 
events  in  all  the  world  have  taken  place. 

"The  Cru-sad'ers  and  the  Mo-ham'me-dans  both  have  battled 
here,  and  here  also  did  Al-ex-an'der  the  Great  and  Na-pole-on 
march  their  troops.  Here  the  greatest  kings,  warriors,  proph- 
ets, poets,  prose  writers  and  statesmen  have  lived. 

"The  climate  ranges  from  hot  to  cold.  The  winters  have 
much  rain,  and  almost  no  snow.  In  Jan'u-ar-y  the  buds  begin 
to  swell  and  in  the  meadow  the  grass  begins  to  grow  green. 

"The  valleys  are  covered  with  wild  poppies,  tulips  and  lilhes, 
but  they  do  not  last  long,  for  the  sun  throws  out  such  a  burning 
heat  that  they  wither  away. 

"An  A-mer'i-can  boy  visiting  this  country  can  pick  the  fruits 
he  is  accustomed  to  eat  at  home,  such  as  peaches,  apples,  plums, 
grapes  and  melons.  If  a  Fil-i-pi'no  or  a  Cu'ban,  he  can  gather 
bananas,  almonds,  pomegranates  and  pineapples.  Or,  if  he 
wants  to  rest  in  the  shade,  he  can  do  so  under  the  fig,  oak,  palm, 
sycamore,  or  the  long  leaved  evergreen  trees.  Thus  you  see 
what  a  land  of  variety  it  is. 

"During  Je'sus'  life  it  had  many  beautiful  cities  and  villages, 
but  now  it  is  greatly  changed  and  shows  the  signs  of  long  neg- 
lect. Some  places,  however,  are  still  beautiful.  Naz'a-reth  and 
Beth'le-hem  are  much  the  same  as  they  were  when  Je'sus  lived 
there  two  thousand  years  ago. 

"Now,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  you  know  something  of  this 
remarkable  land  I  hope  from  Sun'day  to  Sun'day  you  will  turn 
to  the  map  and  locate  the  places  at  which  Je'sus  stopped  as  He 


The  Birth-day  of  Je'sus 


21 


-'^-. 


travelled     during     the 

thirty-three    years    He 

lived  and  preached  on 

earth. 

"Another    thing    I 

must  tell  you  before  be- 
ginning   the    real    life 

of  Je'sus,  and  that  is 

about    His    mother    and    father.      His 

father's  name,  as  you  no  doubt  know,  was 

Jo'seph,    and    His    mother's    name    was 

JMa'ry.      They  lived  in  a   village   called 

Naz'a-reth,  in  the  province  of  Gari-lee, 
"Let  us  find  it  on  the  map,"  said  Paul. 

"Yes,  right  here  it  is,"  said  Pau-line',  who  never  missed  a  chance 

of  getting  ahead  of  her  bigger  brother. 

"One  day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  people  of  Naz'a-reth  be- 
came very  much  troubled  because  the  Em'per-or,  who  lived  in 

Rome,  made  a  law  that  all  the  world  must  be  taxed.    By  this  he 

meant  that  everybody, 
old  and  young,  must 
pay  tribute  money,  and 
with  this  money  he  was 
to  carry  on  the  govern- 
ment. 

"Now  the  people, 
in  order  to  pay  their 
taxes,  had  to  go  to  the 
])lace  from  which  their 
tribes  originally  came. 
The  reason  for  this 
was  that  the  head  of 
TMK  AXM  xciATToN.  t^ie  tribe  residing  there 


22 


The  Birth'dai/  of  Je'sus 


WINTER  IN  PALESTINE. 


kept  a  record  of  all  the  descendants,  and  when  they  paid  their 
taxes  he  made  a  record  of  it. 

"Jo'seph  and  Ma'ry  belonged  to  a  tribe  named  Jii'dah,  so 
this  order  of  the  Em'per-or's  forced  them  to  go  to  Beth'le-hem 
to  pay  their  taxes.     It  was  at  this  time  that  Je'sus  was  born. 

"When  Jo'seph  and  INIa'ry  arrived  at  Beth'le-hem  they 
could  find  no  room  in  the  inn,  so  they  did  the  next  best  thing, 
went  to  the  place  provided  for  the  cattle.  That  night  Je'sus 
was  born  in  a  manger  in  one  of  the  stables. 

"The  Bible  tells  us  that  near  Beth'le-hem  some  shepherds 
were  watching  their  flocks  by  night,  and  that  an  an'gel  of  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  them  saying:  'Fear  not,  for  behold,  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  unto  you  is  born  this  day, 
in  the  city  of  Da'\'id,  a  SaVior,  which  is  Christ,  the  Lord.    Ye 


2Vie  Birth' day  of  Je'sus  23 

will  find  the  Babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes  and  lying  in 
a  manger.' 

"When  the  shepherds  recovered  from  their  surprise  they 
said:  'Let  us  go  to  Beth'le-hem  and  see  whether  these 
things  are  true.'  So  they  made  haste  and,  going  to  Bethle- 
hem, found  Ma'ry  and  the  child,  just  as  the  angels  had  said 
they  would. 

"And  now,  Uncle  John,"  said  Pau-Kne',  "what  about 
Christ'mas  day,  don't  it  have  something  to  do  with  the  birth  of 
Je'sus?" 

"Yes,  my  girl,  it  has  everything  to  do  with  it.  Christ'- 
mas means  Christ's  day.  This  is  why  we  celebrate  the  day  with 
gifts.  Je'sus  was  God's  gift  to  the  world,  bringing  'peace  on 
earth  and  good  will  to  men.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  I 

What  were  the  names  of  Uncle  John's  nephew  and  niece? 

Why  do  we  keep  Sunday  ? 

Why  do  we  call  Jesus'  country  the  Holy  Land? 

How  many  miles  long  and  wide  is  the  Holy  Land? 

What  kind  of  fruits  grow  there? 

In  what  village  did  Jesus'  parents  live? 

Where  did  they  have  to  go  to  pay  their  taxes? 

What  happened  while  they  were  in  the  stable? 

How  did  the  shepherds  find  it  out,  and  what  did  they  do? 

Why  do  we  give  gifts  on  Christmas  Day  ? 


CHAPTER    II 

je'sus  eight  days  old 
Afternoon  Lesson 

Paul  and  Pau-liiie'  were  so  much  j^leased  with  the  story  of 
the  morning  that,  at  the  appointed  time  for  the  afternoon  les- 
son, they  drew  up  the  big  chair  and  called  to  Uncle  John  say- 
ing:   "If  you  don't  hurry,  Uncle,  you  will  be  late." 

"Well,"  said  Uncle  John,  "I  am  glad  you  liked  the  morn- 
ing lesson.  This  afternoon  we  will  begin  with  the  life  of 
Je'sus  at  the  time  he  was  eight  days  old. 

"The  shepherds,  you  remember,  found  Him,  on  His  birth- 
day, lying  in  a  manger.  Being  a  mere  mite  of  a  baby,  nothing 
of  special  interest  happened  until  he  was  eight  days  old;  then 
He  made  His  first  journey  in  the  world. 

"The  Jew'ish  law  then,  as  it  does  to-day,  compelled  par- 
ents to  take  every  boy  to  a  Jew'ish  priest  at  the  age  of  eight 
days  and  bestow  on  him  a  name. 

"Jo-seph  and  Ma'ry,  like  other  Jew'ish  parents,  took  their 
little  son  to  the  temple  for  this  purpose. 

"That  reminds  me,"  said  Uncle  John,  "can  you  tell  me  who 
gave  Je'sus  His  name?  His  mother  did  not,  neither  did  His 
father."  Pau-line'  suggested  that  God  did.  Paul  thought  it 
was  not  possible.  "Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "God  gave  Him  His 
name,  which  means  Sal-va'tion.  This  is  why  He  is  spoken  of 
{'.s  the  Sa'vior. 

"Before  Je'sus  was  born,"  continued  Uncle  John,  "God 
sent  an  angel  to  tell  Ma'ry  that  she  was  to  have  a  son  and  tliat 
she  was  to  call  His  name  Je'sus. 

25 


26 


Je'sus  Eight  Days  Old 


"Now  that  we  have  learned  how  Je'sus  was  named,  would 
you  not  like  to  know  how  He  was  dressed  when  His  parents 
brought  Him  to  the  temple?" 

"Yes,"  chimed  in  both  the  children. 

"Well,"  said  Uncle  John,  when  the  angels  told  the  shep- 
herds that  Je'sus  was  born,  they  spoke  of  the  manner  in  whicli 
the  babe  would  be  dressed.  They  did  this  so  the  shepherds 
would  not  look  for  some  one  dressed  in  fine  clothes.  Let  us  turn 


FIELD  OF  THE 
SHEPHERDS. 


I 

to  Luke  2:12  and  read  what  he  says:  'And  this  shall  be  a  sign 
unto  you;  ye  shall  find  the  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes 
and  lying  in  a  manger.' 

"Swaddling  clothes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "is  really  nothing 
more  than  a  bandage  wound  around  the  body  from  head  to 
feet.  The  little  children  of  that  day,  as  are  many  Eu-ro-pe'an 
children  of  to-day,  could  not  move  hand  nor  foot.  Parents  in 
A-mer'i-ca  are  much  wiser  and  a  babe  here  is  as  free  to  kick 
as  he  is  to  crow  and  laugh. 

"Now  that  you  know  the  meaning  of  swaddling  clothes,  I 


Je'sus  Eight  Days  Old  27 

am  sure  you  will  never  forget  how  Je'sus  was  dressed  when 
Jo'seph  and  Ma'ry  took  him  for  the  first  time  to  the  Tem'ple. 

"You  ought  to  know,  also,"  said  Uncle  John,  "about  two 
people  who  saw  Je'sus  and  His  parents  in  the  Tem'ple  at  this 
time.  One  was  a  good  man  named  Sim'e-on,  the  other  a  good 
woman  named  An'na.  God  had  told  Sim'e-on  once  upon  a 
time  that  he  should  see  the  SaVior  before  he  died,  so  whilst  the 
parents  of  Je'sus  were  in  the  Temple,  God  told  Sim'e-on  to  go 
up  there.  He  did  so.  Then  God  spoke  again  saying:  'The 
little  child  you  see  before  you  is  Je'sus,  the  SaVior  of  the  world.' 

"Sim'e-on  was  so  glad  that  he  hurried  forward  and  took 
Je'sus  in  his  arms  and  looked  into  His  face.  He  then  said  to 
God:  'Let  me  depart  in  peace  for  Thou  hast  kept  Thy  promise.' 

"Whilst  Sim'e-on  was  talking,  An'na  came  into  the  Temple 
and  God  spoke  to  her  also.  She  gave  thanks  because  Je'sus 
had  been  born.  An'na  talked  with  the  strangers  near,  telling 
them  whom  the  Babe  was  and  what  a  great  work  He  would  do 
when  He  became  a  man. 

"This  visit  at  the  Tem'ple  was  the  first  great  day  in  Je'sus' 
life,  and  yet  it  was  not  the  greatest,  as  we  shall  see  further  on." 

Here  Uncle  John  stopped,  for  he  was  very  tired,  but  the 
children,  Paul  and  Pau-line',  could  not  resist  asking  where 
Je'sus  went  after  leaving  the  Tem'ple.  Uncle  John  said:  "I 
am  glad  you  asked  that  question.  You  will  be  pleased  to  know 
that  the  parents'  visit  at  the  Tem'ple,  among  the  great  people, 
did  not  wean  them  from  their  simple  life  in  Beth'le-hem.  They 
went  back  there  as  soon  as  their  duties  were  over  at  the 
Tem'ple." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  II 

When  Jesus  was  eight  days  old  where  did  his  parents  take  him? 
How  did  Jesus  get  his  name? 
Tell  about  swaddling  clothes. 

What  old  man  and  woman  saw  Jesus  and  his  parents  in  the  temple,  .ind 
what  did  they  do  ? 


CHAPTER    III 


THE    WISE    MEN 

Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  January 

When  the  cliildren  sat  down  for  the  second  Sun'day  morn- 
ing talk,  Pau-hne'  said:  "Uncle  John,  I  think  you  look  better 
than  you  did  last  Sun'day."  "Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "I  feel 
much  stronger  and  I  am  happy  that  we  can  go  on  with  our  les- 
sons. 

"We  shall  talk  to-day  about  some  Wise  Men,  called  the  JNIa'- 
gi,  who  came  from  a  far  eastern  country  to  Beth'le-hem  to  find 
the  child  Je'sus.  These  Wise  Men  not  only  read  the  great  books 
of  the  world,  but  stud- 
ied the  heavens  and  led 
most  holy  lives.     They 
were  giving  special  at- 
tention just  then  to  the  \\ 
stars,  for  the  Old-Tes'- 
ta-ment  said  that  a  Sa'- 
vior  would  one  day  be 
born,     and,     in     order 
that     all     men     might 
know   when  His  birth 
took   place,   a  wonder- 
ful star  would  be  seen 
in  the  sky. 

"A  new  star  had 
now  appeared  on  the 
horizon,  so  these  Wise 
Men  started  in  search 

of   the    SaVior   taking  _ 

the  Star  as  their  guide.  heading  the  law 


The  Wise  Men 


29 


WISE  MEN  FROM  THE  EAST. 


They  followed  it  night  after  night  and  rested  themselves  and 
their  camels  during  the  day.  You  can  imagine  their  anxiety  lest 
they  should  lose  sight  of  it. 

"Following  where  it  led,  they  came  to  the  city  of  Je-ru'sa- 
lem.  Here,  Her'od,  the  king  of  the  Jews,  lived.  Now,  these 
Wise  JNIen  felt  that  so  great  a  man  as  the  King  could  surely 
tell  them  something  definite  ahout  this  Child,  or  if  the  king 
could  not,  possibly  the  scholars  of  the  great  city  could. 

"So  they  sought  an  early  audience  with  the  King.  When 
he  heard  their  story  he  was  sore  afraid  lest  the  people  would 
make  this  Babe,  whom  the  Wise  Men  told  about,  their  king. 
Her'od  hastily  excused  himself  from  the  Wise  ^len  of  the 
East  and  summoned  the  scholars  of  his  kingdom  together. 
When  they  were  before  him  he  asked  if  they  knew^  the  prophesy 


30 


The  Wise  Men 


concerning  the  Mes-si'ah,  and  where  and  when  He  was  to  he 
born. 

"The  scribes  turned  to  their  scrolls,  which  were  used  in  those 
days  for  books  and,  finding  the  passage  which  told  where 
Je'sus  was  to  be  born,  read  it  to  the  King.  When  Her'od  heard 
it  he  dismissed  the  scholars  of  his  own  kingdom  to  talk  privately 
with  the  Wise  men  from  the  East. 

"When  alone  with  them  he  again  asked  about  the  'star'  and 
particularly  when  it  first  appeared. 

"You  see,  Paul  and  Pau-hne',"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  king 
was  a  bad  man  and  had  a  special  reason  for  asking  when  the 
'star'  first  appeared.  Had  the  wise  men  known  him  better, 
they  would  have  answered  more  discreetly;  but  they  were  good 
and  in  their  goodness  told  the  King  all  about  the  'star'  and 
what  it  meant. 

"When  Her'od  had  learned  all  that  he  desired  he  sent  these 
Wise  men  away,  saying:  'When  you  have  found  the  Babe,  let 
me  know  and  I  will  go  and  worship  Him  also.'  " 

"Oh,  I  begin  to  understand,"  said  Paul,  "Her'od  said  one 
thing  but  meant  another,  did  he  not,  Uncle  John?"     "Yes,  my 
child,"       said       Uncle 
John. 

"  Now,  when  the 
night  came,  the  Wise 
Men  started  on  their 
journey  and  lo,  the 
star  which  had  led 
them  thus  far  again 
went  before  them  until 
it  stood  over  Beth'le- 
hem    where    the    child 


was. 

"When 


the     Ma'gi 


FLIGHT  INTO  ECJYPT. 


The  Wise  Men  31 

saw  the  star  stand  still  they  greatly  rejoiced,  for  they  knew  their 
journey  was  completed.  They  then  went  in  and  saw  the  young 
child  with  Ma'ry,  His  mother,  and  fell  down  and  worsliipped 
Him.  After  this  they  opened  their  treasure  sacks  and  presented 
Him  with  gifts  of  rare  value. 

"They  expected  to  return  by  way  of  Je-ru'sa-lem  to  tell  the 
king  the  news,  but  on  the  last  night,  previous  to  their  departure 
from  Beth'le-hem,  God  appeared  to  them  in  a  dream,  telling 
them  not  to  see  the  king  for  he  only  wished  to  know  about  Je'- 
sus  that  he  might  kill  him.  After  this  dream  they  decided  to 
go  home  another  way. 

"God  also  appeared  to  Jo'seph  in  a  dream,  telling  him  about 
Her'od  and  that  he  was  planning  to  take  the  life  of  Je'sus.  God 
said:  'Take  Ma'ry  and  the  young  child  to  E'gypt  and  stay 
there  until  I  send  you  word  to  come  back  to  the  Ho'ly  Land.' 

"Her'od  waited  for  sometime  for  the  Wise  men,  but  when 
he  saw  them  not,  he  sent  his  soldiers  to  Beth'le-hem  with  in- 
structions to  kill  all  children  under  two  years  of  age.  By  so 
doing  he  felt  he  would  surely  kill  the  child  Je'sus." 

"I  don't  wonder,"  said  both  children,  "that  the  people 
wanted  another  king."  "Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "they  wanted 
it  and  later  it  came  to  pass.  God  does  not  long  permit  wrong 
to  go  unpunished." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  III 

Whom  did  Uncle  John  say  he  would  talk  about  in  this  lesson  ? 
What  were  they  looking  for? 
What  had  appeared  in  the  Heavens? 
Did  the  wise  men  travel  in  the  day  or  in  the  night? 
Of  whom  did  they  inquire  about  the  child  at  Jerusalem  ? 
How  did  Herod  feel  and  what  did  he  do  after  hearing  the  wise  men's 
story  ? 

What  did  Herod  tell  the  wise  men  to  do  when  they  found  the  babe? 

What  did  the  wise  men  do  when  they  found  Jesus  ? 

Why  did  they  not  go  back  by  Jerusalem  and  tell  Herod  the  news? 


CHAPTER    IV 


THE    HOMES  AND    CHILDREN    OF    NAZ'a-RETH 

Afternoon  Lesson 

When  Uncle  John  was  seated  for  the  afternoon  lesson  Paul 
said:   "Uncle  John,   do  you  think  Her'od  could  have  been  a 

good  boy  when  he 
turned  out  to  be  so 
bad  a  man?"  "Yes," 
said  Uncle  John.  "He 
was  a  bright,  good, 
handsome  boy,  and  at 
first  promised  to  turn 
out  the  best  of  kings, 
but  little  by  little  he  let 
the  evil  come  into  his 
life,  and  it  over- 
whelmed tlie  good. 

"And  now,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "we  have 
something  pleasant  as 
well  as  sad  to  think 
about  tliis  afternoon. 
We  are  going  to  talk 
about  the  home  life 
and  children  of  Naz'a-reth  where  Jes'us  lived  when  a  boj^ 

"First,  let  us  turn  to  the  map  of  E'gypt,  in  northern  Af- 
ri-ca,  where  Jo'seph  and  Ma'ry  went  with  Je'sus,  at  the  time 
they  left  Beth1e-hem,  to  avoid  the  wicked  Her'od.  They  did 
not  have  to  stay  long  in  E'gypt  for  God  sent  Jo'seph  word 

32 


AN  EARLY  STUDENT. 


The  Homes  of  Naz'a-reth 


33 


THE  BOYHOOD  OF  CHRIST. 


that  Her'od  was  dead  and  he  could  return.  On  leaving  E'gypt, 
Jo'seph  and  Ma'ry  started  directly  for  Beth'le-hem,  which 
place  they  thought  of  making  their  future  home,  but  for  some 
reason  changed  their  minds  and  went  to  Naz'a-reth,  the  place 
from  which  they  started  before  going  to  pay  tlieir  taxes. 

"When  they  had  gotten  as  far  as  the  borders  of  GaFi-lee, 
the  country  in  which  Naz'a-reth  is  located,  they  entered  a  beau- 
tiful plain  covered  with  wheat.  Crossing  this  plain,  they  came 
to  some  hills  which  were  broken  by  a  deep  gorge.  They  fol- 
lowed this  pass  till  they  came  to  a  road  at  the  junction  of  which 
they  found  two  fine  wells  of  water.  Here  the  shepherd  boys 
frequently  brought  their  sheep  to  drink.  From  these  wells 
the  women  of  Naz'a-reth  also  carried  water  in  large  earthen 
vessels  to  their  homes. 

"After  Jo'seph  and  Ma'ry  had  rested,  they  continued  their 
Journey  down  the  road  until  they  came  to  a  little  valley. 
Straight  ahead  stood  Naz'a-reth  on  the  side  of  a  hill. 

"Here,"  said  Uncle  John,  "is  this  little  city  of  Naz'a-reth, 


y-i  TJic  Ilo/ncs  of  Naz'a-rcUi  > 

where  Je'sus  lived  during  the  iirst  thirty  years  of  His  life.  You 
can  imagine  how  glad  everybody  was  to  see  Jo'seph  and  Ma'ry 
and  the  new  boy  baby. 

"Has  Naz'a-reth  changed  any  since  Je'sus  lived  there?" 
asked  Paul.  "No,"  said  Uncle  John,  "I  don't  think  so.  Some 
cf  the  houses  have  crumbled  and  gone,  others  have  been  built, 
but  after  all  it  is  about  the  same.  As  we  look  upon  the  homes 
and  see  the  children  at  play  our  eyes  view  the  very  things  Je'sus 
loved.  The  people  of  Naz'a-reth  had  at  that  time,  and  do  have 
to-day,  gardens  about  the  homes.  These  were  fenced  in  by 
hedges  of  cactus. 

"The  children  are  of  a  dark  complexion,  their  cheeks  red, 
and  their  eyes  are  dark  and  shining.  They  are  full  of  laughter 
and  song. 

"The  games  even  must  have  been  dear  to  the  heart  of  Je'sus, 
for,  when  grown,  He  talked  about  them.  Each  child  wore  a 
turban  of  scarlet  on  the  head  and  a  loose  garment  over  the  body, 
girded  by  a  sash  of  many  colors."  "How  funnj^,"  said  Pau- 
line', "why  the  children  must  have  looked  like  butterflies  flitting 
over  the  hill  sides."  "Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "I  think  so,  and 
free,  too,  as  the  butterflies;  but  let  us  go  to  one  of  their  homes. 

"The  houses  are  square  and  covered  with  vines.  Y^ou  can 
almost  hear  the  doves  cooing,  there  are  so  many  flitting  about. 
When  a  child  who  has  been  out  of  doors  wishes  to  enter  the 
house  he  takes  off  his  sandals  and  leaves  them  at  a  convenient 
spot,  to  again  replace  them  as  he  re-enters  the  garden. 

"There  are  no  carpets  on  the  floor  but  plenty  of  mats  and 
numerous  rugs  are  hung  on  the  w^alls.  Near  the  door,  just  in- 
side, are  great  porous  water  pots  filled  with  water.  The  mouths 
of  the  vessels  are  covered  with  branches  of  fresh  leaves,  to  keej:) 
the  water  cool."  "And  does  this  keep  the  water  cool?"  asked 
Pau-line'.  "Yes,  it  helps,  although  it  is  not  all  due  to  branches, 
it   is    partly    due   to    evaporation,"    said    Uncle    Jolm. 


The  Homes  of  Naz'a-reth  35 

"Another  strange  thing  about  the  homes  is  a  shelf  nmning 
all  the  way  around  the  room.  On  this  shelf  are  placed  the  quilts 
and  rugs  which  serve  as  bed  clothes.  On  this  same  shelf  but  at 
the  rear  of  the  room  are  placed  the  pots,  kettles,  cups  and  uten^ 
sils  used  in  cooking  and  house  keeping. 

"There  are  few  ornaments  in  the  room,  a  hanging  lamp  for 
night  and  the  dark  days,  and  a  large  painted  chest  in  which  are 
stowed  the  valuables  of  the  family. 

"When  it  is  time  for  a  meal  a  low  stool  is  placed  in  the 
center  of  the  room,  upon  which  is  set  the  vessel  containing  rice, 
meat,  fruit  or  other  edibles.  Before  the  meal,  the  hands  are 
washed,  each  dipping  into  the  dish  in  common.  When  the  meal 
is  finished  the  hands  are  again  washed. 

"It  was  in  a  home  like  this,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Je'sus 
the  SaVior  of  the  world  lived  for  many  years." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  IV 

What  kind  of  a  boy  was  Herod? 

Where  did  Joseph  and  Mai-y  go  when  Herod  tried  to  kill  Jesus? 

Did  they  stay  there  long? 

Why  did  they  not  go  back  to  Bethlehem  to  live? 

To  what  place  did  they  go? 

Does  Nazareth  look  now  much  like  it  did  then  ? 

How  do  the  children  look  there  to-day? 

How  did  they  dress  in  Jesus'  time? 

Tell  about  the  houses  in  Nazareth. 

How  did  they  keep  their  water  cool? 

Tell  how  they  keep  their  bed  clothes  and  other  things. 

Did  they  eat  their  meals  on  tables  with  knives  and  forks  in  Palestine? 

Tell  how  they  did  it. 


CHAPTER   V 

je'sus  at  twelve  years  or  age 
Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  January 

When  Uncle  John  sat  down  with  Paul  and  Pau-hne'  for 
the  third  morning  talk  he  said:  "A  number  of  years  have  now 
passed  since  Je'sus  came  to  Naz'a-reth,  and  our  lesson  to-day 
finds  Him  twelve  years  of  age.  During  these  twelve  years  He 
did  pretty  much  the  same  as  boys  do  to-day.  He  ate,  slept, 
played,  and,  as  soon  as  He  could  speak.  His  mother  taught  Him 
to  pray.  But  at  last  He  is  twelve  years  of  age,  and  a  change 
comes  into  His  life.  In  that  country  a  boy  of  twelve  does  much 
the  same  as  a  boy  with  us  at  twenty-one.  He  begins  to  think 
about  a  trade  or  a  profession  or  some  kind  of  life  work. 

"Je'sus  chose  a  trade,  that  of  a  carpenter.  He  selected  this 
trade  in  all  probability  because  His  father  before  Him  was  a 
carpenter.  The  carpenters  of  that  day,  though,  did  not  have 
the  perfect  tools  we  have,  and  on  that  account  could  not  accom- 
plish as  much  work.  The  saw  which  they  used  only  cut  when 
they  drew  it  up;  our  saws,  you  know,  cut  both  ways,  when  we 
push  them  down  and  when  we  draw  them  up.  This  enables  us 
to  do  twice  the  work  with  our  saws  that  Je'sus  and  His  father 
did  with  theirs,  for  we  gain  an  extra  stroke. 

"In  addition  to  having  a  trade,"  said  Uncle  John,  "a  boy 
at  twelve  was  expected  to  go  with  his  parents  once  a  year  to 
the  Tem'ple  at  Je-ru'sa-lem,  the  central  Church  of  the  Jew'ish 
nation,  to  celebrate  the  Feast  of  the  Pass'over.  This  Feast  of 
the  Pass'over  was  the  commemoration  of  an  event  which  took 
place  long  years  before  Je'sus  was  born." 

"Tell  us  about  it,"  said  Paul.  "Well,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"a  certain  Pha'raoh  was  at  one  time  king  of  E'gypt,  and  he 
refused  to  let  God's  chosen  people  go  out  of  his  land  into  the 

36 


38 


Je'sus  at  Twelve 


Holy  Land.  He  wanted  them  to  work  as  slaves.  Pha'raoh 
promised  again  and  again  to  do  so,  but  each  time  broke  his 
promise.  God  at  last  sent  His  angel  to  slay  the  first  born  of 
every  E-gyp'tian  house,  with  instructions  to  pass  over  the 
houses  of  the  Children  of  Is'ra-el.  The  Jews  never  forgot  God's 


JUDEAN  HILLS  AND  VALLEY  OF  HINNOM. 

goodness  in  protecting  them  and  they  celebrated  it  once  each 
year,  calling  the  celebration  the  Feast  of  the  Passover,  signify- 
ing that  the  angel  "passed  over"  the  houses  of  the  Jews. 

"This  festival,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  at  that  time  and  is 
to-day,  the  greatest  event  in  Jewish  history. 

"These  annual  visits  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  were  great  treats  to 
both  old  and  young.  People  everywhere  went  from  far  and 
near.      The  journey   was   like   a   picnic,   extending  over  many 


Je'sus  at  Txcclve  39 

days.  Some  walked,  others  rode,  everybody  got  acquainted.  At 
meal  time  they  spread  the  food  on  the  ground  just  as  we  do  to- 
day when  we  go  out  camping.  For  shelter  at  night  they  made 
booths  by  putting  up  poles  and  covering  them  ^vith  branches 
from  the  trees. 

"From  Naz'a-reth,  where  Je'sus  lived,  it  was  about  one 
week's  journey  to  Je-ru'sa-lem.  During  Pass'over  week  the 
people  who  lived  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  welcomed  either  friend  or 
stranger,  but  most  of  the  visitors  preferred  to  remain  at  night 
in  the  booths  outside  of  the  city. 

"Je-ru'sa-lem  was  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  city  of 
that  country.  To  protect  it  from  enemies  a  high  wall  had  been 
built  around  it  many  centuries  before.  The  gates  were  opened 
at  sunrise  and  closed  at  sunset.  It  is  suj^posed  that  Je'sus  re- 
mained with  His  parents  and  relatives  outside  the  gates. 

"While  on  these  visits  to  Je-ru'sa-lem,  Je'sus  was  given 
great  freedom.  He  was  permitted  to  go  and  come  as  He 
pleased.  Every  one  present  seemed  like  friends,  so  the  parents 
gave  little  thought  as  to  what  Je'sus  was  doing.  Even  in  start- 
ing for  home  they  did  not  at  first  discover  that  He  was  not  with 
the  party.    In  fact,  it  was  bedtime  before  He  was  really  missed. 

"Jo'seph  and  ]Ma'ry  then  became  alarmed  and  returned  in 
great  haste  to  Je-ru'sa-lem.  They  hunted  everywhere  for  two 
days,  but  did  not  find  Him.  They  then  went  on  the  tliird  day 
up  to  the  Temple,  and  to  their  keen  surprise  and  delight,  found 
Him  talking  to  the  great  scholars  of  tlie  world.  His  knowl- 
edge and  learning  was  such  that  all  who  heard  Him  marvelled 
at  His  understanding. 

"As  soon  as  the  parents  had  opportunity,  they  told  Je'sus 
of  their  great  anxiety,  but  He  seemed  calm  and  simply  said, 
'Do  you  not  know  that  I  must  do  my  Heavenly  Father's  A\'ork?' 

"This  answer  of  Jesus  is  hard  for  us  to  understand,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "but  Je'sus  meant  that  He  was  filled  \\\i\\  God's 


Je'sus  at  Tivelve 


41 


OUTER  COURT  OF  THE  TEMPLE. 

love   and   now   that   He   was   a   man,  even  though   small,    He 
wanted  to  work  for  God. 

"We  have  no  account  of  the  homeward  journey  from  Je- 
ru'sa-lem,  yet  very  prohably  the  friends  waited  for  Jo'seph, 
Ma'ry  and  Je'sus,  and  all  returned  together  to  Naz/a-reth." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  V 

How  old  was  Jesus  in  this  lesson? 

Was  he  like  other  boys  when  he  was  growing  up  ? 

What  trade  did  Jesus  choose? 

Tell  about  the  tools  the  carpenter  used. 

Where  did  Jesus  go  with  his  parents  at  twelve  years? 

Can  you  tell  about  the  Passover  as  Uncle  John  told  it  ? 

How  long  did  it  take  them  to  go  to  Jerusalem  ? 


THE  RETURN  FROM  JERUSALEM. 

FROM    PAINTING    BY    FERDINAND,    COUNT    OF    HARRACH 


CHAPTER    VI 

je'sus^  life  in  naz'a-reth 
Afternoon    Lesson 

When  the  three,  Uncle  John,  Pau-line'  and  Paul  were 
seated  for  the  afternoon  lesson,  Pau-line'  said:  "Uncle  John,  1 
wish  I  could  have  seen  the  j)eople  going  up  to  Je-ru'sa-leni. 
What  a  good  time  they  must  have  had,  eating  and  camping 
out." 

"Yes,  it  was  no  douht  pleasant,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and  1 
have  often  wished  I,  too,  might  enjoy  this  same  treat  with  a 
company  of  friends.  You  know,  Pau-line^,  that  the  Jews  make 
the  same  trips  now,  once  a  year,  as  they  did  in  Je'sus'  time. 
Maybe  we  shall,  some  day;  who  knows? 

"We  are  going  to  talk  this  afternoon  about  the  way  Je'sus 
was  trained  for  His  great  life  work,"  said  Uncle  John.  "The 
trade  which  He  learned  was  a  fine  education  in  itself,  but  to  see 
Him  at  His  best  we  must  look  at  other  things  in  His  life,  those 
things  w^hich  especially  prepared  His  mind  for  the  jfield  of  use- 
fulness in  which  we  know  Him  best. 

*'In  His  talks,  recorded  in  the  New  Tes'ta-ment,  we  find  that 
He  knew  all  about  everything.  He  often  refers  to  goods 
bought  and  sold,  to  fish,  to  pearls  and  all  other  things  found  in 
the  market  place.  From  this  we  conclude  He  often  went  to 
what  the  orientals  call  the  bazaar,  and  there  saw  all  the  trade  of 
the  town  and  the  strange  merchants  who  came  from  afar  to 
show  their  wares.  He  saw  their  goods,  heard  of  their  country 
and  listened  to  the  stories  of  far  away  things.  All  of  this  be- 
came school  books  to  Him. 

"In  other  chapters  in  the  New  Tes'ta-ment  He  speaks  of 
the  evening  and  morning  sky,  the  ravens,  the  sparrows  and  the 
■flies;  He  speaks  of  thoriv;,  figs  and  thistles;  He  talks  about 

43 


4>4> 


Je'sus'  Life  in  Naz'a-reth 


wells,  about  garments  and  home  life.  All  this  study  of  nature, 
of  things  and  men,  was  not  only  good  to  know  but  trained  His 
mind. 

"The  language  which  Je'sus  spoke  was  the  language  of  the 
country,  a  Sy'ro-Chal-da'ic,  but  from  His  sermons  we  know 
that  He  understood  the  He'brew  and  Greek  languages,  for  He 
quoted  from  both.  He'brew  was  a  dead  language  at  the  time 
Je'sus  lived,  the  same  as  it  is  to-day;  it  was  preserved  in  writ- 
ing but  was  no  longer  spoken. 

"We  sujDpose  that  Je'sus  was  helped  by  His  father  and 
mother  in  getting  His  education.  The  only  book,  to  our  knowl- 
edge, that  Je'sus  ever  studied  was  the  Old  Tes'ta-ment ;  this 
His  mother  taught  Him  to  read  when  He  was  very  young,  so 
we  can  see  how  great  an  education  one  can  get  by  a  thorough 
study  of  the  Bi'ble  and  of  nature,  the  two  sources  which  carry 
us  to  God,  the  giver  of  all  good  gifts. 

"Je'sus  had  so  great  an  education  that  when  He  talked  to 

people  they  frequently 
said,  'where  did  He  get 
all  of  this  learning, 
for  we  know.  He  has 
never  been  to  school. 
He  tells  about  things 
we  do  not  find  in 
books,  nor  do  we  hear 
them  from  scribe  or 
priest." 

"But,  Uncle  John," 
said  Paul,  "perhaps 
Je'sus  traveled  and 
got  His  knowledge." 
"Yes,  my  little  friend," 

CHURCH  OF  THE  AXXUXCIATION— NAZARETH.      Said     Unclc    John,     "to 


Je'sus  Life  in  Naz'a-reth  45 

travel  is  a  great  education,  but  Je'sus  remained  at  home.  Had 
He  been  away  His  town  people  would  not  have  shown  sur- 
prise. To  them  His  thoughts  and  language  were  nothing  short 
of  wonderful.  So  j'-ou  see  it  is  not  necessary  for  men  to 
travel  in  order  to  become  wise,  although  we  will  admit  it  is 
an  easy  way  to  get  an  education;  yet  Je'sus  chose  the  other 
method,  perhaps  from  necessity,  for  he  was  poor.  Nor  is  it 
necessary,  in  order  to  be  a  great  man,  to  be  a  prominent  one. 
Je'sus  was  modest  and  almost  unknown,  yet  no  man  was  so 
great  a  speaker,  so  great  a  scholar,  so  great  in  good  deeds,  so 
great  in  love,  so  great  in  forgiveness.  You  will  remember  His 
last  moments  on  the  cross,  referring  to  His  enemies,  when  He 
said:   'Father^  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do/  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  VI 

Do  the  Jews  still  go  up  to  Jerusalem  as  they  did  in  the  days  of  Jesus? 

How  did  the  boy  Jesus  gain  such  great  knowledge? 

What  all  did  Jesus  speak  about? 

In  what  languages  did  Jesus  speak? 

How  did  Jesus  get  his  education? 

Was  Jesus  a  traveler? 


A  QUIET  POOL  IN  THE  RIVER  JORDAN. 


CHAPTER    VII 


THE    BAPTISM    OF    JE'sUS 

Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  January 

All  during  the  week  Paul  and  Pau-line'  kept  referring  to 
the  way  Je'sus  had  studied  the  clouds,  the  stars,  the  flowers, 
the  trees,  the  rocks,  the  winds,  the  rains,  the  corn  and  the  fields 
in  general. 

The  farm  had  become  more  beautiful  to  them  for  they  had 
begun  to  look  upon  it  as  a  school  in  which  God  taught.  They 
felt,  in  a  way,  that  they  were  learning  those  things  which  Jesus 
had  learned.  So  they  told  Uncle  John  that  this  week  had  been 
most  pleasant  because  of  their  new  interest  in  things. 

"We  are  going  to  talk  to-day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "about 
a  cousin  of  Je'sus,  whose  name  was  John,  and  known  as  'John, 
the  Bap'tist,'  a  name,  no  doubt,  given  him  because  he  baptized 
many  people  and  among  them,  Je'sus. 

"John's  mother  was  named  E-liz'a-beth  and  his  father 
Zach-a-ri'as.     Before  his  birth  an  angel  had  been  sent  by  God 

46 


48  The  Bap'tism  of  Je'sus 

to  tell  Zach-a-ri'as  that  he  was  to  have  a  son;  that  he  was  to  call 
his  name  John,  and  that  he  would  become  a  wonderful  man  and 
do  a  great  work. 

"This  message  of  the  Angel  pleased  E-liz-a-beth'  very 
much.  So  when  John  was  born  they  took  pains  to  train  him 
to  worship  God. 

"Like  Je'sus,  John  was  raised  in  the  country.  He  never 
drank  in-tox'i-cat-ing  drinks  and  ate  only  plain  healthy  food. 

"When  he  became  a  man  he  chose  to  preach  and  to  live  alone 
in  the  woods,  where  he  could  get  pure  air,  and,  where,  too,  he 
could  be  quiet  and  near  to  God. 

"His  clothing  was  very  simple.  He  wore  no  shoes  upon  his 
feet  and  only  a  coat  of  camel's  hair  across  his  back.  His  food 
consisted  of  locust  and  wild  honey.  He  was,  probably,  the 
least  artificial  man  that  ever  lived. 

"When  he  began  to  preach  great  crowds  came  to  hear  him; 
soldiers  and  people  of  all  ranks. 

"He  had  such  power  that  the  greatest  men  of  the  kingdom 
asked  him  if  he  were  the  Mes-si'ah.  •  He  said,  'I  am  not,  but  as 
the  courier  goes  before  the  king,  telling  the  people  that  the  king 
is  coming,  so  do  I  run  before  the  Mes-si'ah  to  tell  the  people 
that  He  is  coming.' 

"Although  Je'sus  and  John  were  cousins,  and  although  God 
has  designed  that  John  should  announce  Je'sus  as  the  Mes- 
si'ah,  we  judge  they  had  never  met  until  Je'sus,  at  the  age  of 
thirty,  came  to  the  river  Jor'dan  to  be  baptized. 

"God  had  given  John  a  secret  sign  by  which  he  might  know 
the  Mes-si'ah.  This  sign  was  a  white  dove,  meaning  the  descent 
of  the  Spir'it  of  God. 

"One  day,  a  little  while  after  John's  talk  with  the  people 
about  his  being  the  forerunner  of  the  Mes-si'ah,  he  met  a  Man 
to  whom  his  heart  went  out  in  great  love  and  awe. 


The  Bap'tism  of  Je'sus  49 

"Soon  after  the  meeting  this  Man  requested  John  to  bap- 
tize Him,  but  John  said,  'I  am  not  worthy  to  baptize  Thee.' 
The  stranger  then  told  John  that  He  "wished  it  as  an  example  in 
God's  work.     Then  John  did  as  the  Man  wished. 

"Now,  as  John  was  baptizing  Je'sus,  the  heavens  opened 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  form  of  a  dove  descended  on  Him, 
and  John  then  knew  that  the  Mes-si'ah  of  the  world  stood  be- 
fore him. 

"Although  John  was  about  Je'sus'  age,  thirty  years  old,  his 
mission  in  life  was  fulfilled.  He  had  been  born  to  announce 
Je'sus'  coming. 

"Je'sus  had  yet  His  work  to  do — the  work  of  a  life — and 
only  three  years  in  which  to  do  it. 

"At  some  other  time,"  said  Uncle  John,  "I  shall  tell  yo'i 
how  John  lost  his  life,  and  what  great  and  beautiful  tliin'^5i 
Je'sus  said  of  Him. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  VII 

What  did  Paul  and  Pauline  think  about  during  the  week? 

About  whom  did  Uncle  John  tell  them  in  this  lesson  ? 

Who  were  John's  father  and  mother  ? 

What  strange  thing  happened  before  John  was  born  ? 

What  is  said  about  John's  eating  and  drinking? 

What  did  he  do  when  he  became  a  man  ? 

Tell  where  he  lived  and  how  he  dressed  and  what  he  ate. 

What  did  he  say  to  the  people  that  thought  he  was  the  Messiah? 

How  was  John  to  know  Christ  when  he  came? 

What  happened  when  he  was  baptizing  Jesus? 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    TEMPTATION    OF    JE'sUS 

Afternoo7i  Lesson 

"Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  now  ready  for  His  great 
work  in  the  world.  John  had  announced  His  coming,  and  the 
dove  had  been  sent  from  God  to  prove  His  Mes-si'ah-ship. 

"The  next  step  which  God  took  was  to  lead  Him  up  into 
a  wilderness,  to  prove  to  the  world  that  temptation  could  be 
resisted.  Je'sus  had  been  in  the  wilderness  forty  days  and  had 
eaten  no  food,  nor  did  He  hunger  during  that  time,  but  when 
the  forty  days  were  ended.  He  began  to  grow  hungry. 

"Then  Sa'tan,  feeling  it  was  his  opportunity,  said  to  Je'- 
sus:  'If  you  really  are  the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these 
stones  be  made  bread.' 

"Je'sus  was  hungry,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  it  was  not  right 
for  Him  to  get  rid  of  hunger  by  performing  a  miracle  just  for 
a  selfish  purpose,  so  He  said  to  Saltan:  'Man  does  not  live  by 
bread  alone  but  by  the  word  of  God.' 

"Then  Sa'tan,  being  determined  to  overpower  Him,  took 
Him  to  the  top  of  the  Temple,  saying:  'Cast  thyself  down  from 
this  jDoint  and  prove  to  me  that  God  really  does  give  His 
Angels  charge  concerning  you.'  The  reply  of  Je'sus  was:  'It  is 
a  better  thing  to  trust  mj^  Father  than  to  coerce  Him  to  save 
me.' 

"The  AdVer-sa-ry  then  resorted  to  the  greatest  temptation 
known  to  man.  He  showed  Je'sus  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world  in  a  moment  of  time  and  said :  'If  you  will  worship  me  I 
will  give  you  all  these  kingdoms,  their  people  and  their  wealth.' 

"Je'sus,  although  poor  in  worldly  goods,  quickly  answered: 
Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord,  thy  God,  and  Him  only  shalt 
thou  serve!'  " 

50 


The  Temp-ta'tion  of  Je'sus 


51 


"Wasn't  He  grand,"  said  Pau-line'.  "Indeed,  He  was,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "but  you  see,  Pau-line',  that  this  adversary  that 
cajne  to  Je'sus  is  just  the  same  unseen  foe  that  comes  to  you 
and  me  when  we  are  sick,  hungry,  angry,  or  when  we  desire 
riches  and  power.  Strange  that  he  comes  at  our  weakest  mo- 
ment, but  with  his  shrewd  eye  he  sees  when  we  can  best  be  led 
astray. 

"After  the  adversary  left,"  said  Uncle  John,  "God's  angel 
came  to  the  wilderness  and  ministered  to  Je'sus.  From  this 
time  on,  Je'sus  gave  up  His  life  as  a  carpenter  and  became  the 
Sa'vior  of  the  world,  going  from  the  wilderness  to  the  river 
Jor'dan  to  begin  the  selection  of  His  A-pos'tles." 


CHAPTER    IX 

je'sus  calls  his  first  apostles 
Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  February 

"Uncle  John,"  said  Paul  as  they  assembled  for  another 
morning  lesson,  "I  have  been  thinking  all  the  week  of  Je'sus' 
great  battle  with  Sa'tan  and  how  he  won  it." 

"I  have  been  thinking,"  said  Pau-line',  "how  we  ever  spent 
our  Sun'days  before  Uncle  John  came." 

"And  I  have  been  thinking,"  said  Uncle  John,  "what  a  de- 
light it  is  for  me  to  go  over  these  stories  with  such  appreciative 
children.  This  morning  we  shall  see  how  Je'sus  called  His 
A-pos'tles. 

"The  day  before  He  left  the  wilderness,  where  He  had  been 
tempted  by  Saltan,  a  committee  of  great  men  went  to  the  river 
Jor'dan  to  see  John,  The  Bap'tist,  and  to  find  out,  if  possible, 
who  he  really  was. 

"They  said  to  John:  'Are  you  Mouses,  E-li'as,  the  Mes- 
si'ah,  or  One  of  the  Proph'ets?'  John  said  he  was  none  of 
these,  but  repeated  what  he  had  told  them  before — that  he  was 
the  one  chosen  of  God  as  a  forerunner  of  the  Mes-si'ah.  He 
also  told  them  that  he  had  seen  the  Mes-ji'ah  and  then  explained 
how  he  knew  that  Je'sus  was  the  Mes-si'ah. 

"The  day  following  this  interview  Je'sus  appeared  and 
John  said  to  the  people  about :  'Behold  the  Lamb  of  God.'  The 
next  day  Je'sus  again  appeared  and  John  again  stated  the  fact 
that  Je'sus  was  the  Mes-si'ah. 

'When  John  repeated  this  the  second  time,  two  young  men 
standing  near  followed  Je'sus,  one  was  John  (not  John  the 
Bap'tist,  but  another  John,  afterward  called  John  the  Beloved 
Dis-ci'ple)  and  the  other  was  An'drew.  Both  were  fishermen 
by  trade. 

52 


Calls  his  First  Apos'tles 


53 


"When  Je'sus  saw  them  following  Him  He  turned  and 
said:  'Whom  seek  ye?'  In  their  embarrassment  they  hardly 
knew  what  to  say,  so  they  answered  Je'sus  by  asking  Him 
where  He  lived.  Je'sus  very  kindly  said  to  them:  'Come  and 
see.'     They  at  once  accepted  His  invitation. 

"Xow,  Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "had  no  home,  for  He  was 
travelling  from  place  to  place,  but  in  all  probability  He  had  con- 
structed a  booth  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Jor'dan  and  made 
this  His  home  during  His  short  stay.  On  the  occasion  of  this 
visit  Je'sus  talked  with  John  and  An'drew  regarding  His  fu- 
ture work. 

"The  two  were  so  interested  that  An'drew  went  back  and 
told  his  brother  Si'mon  that  they  had  found  the  Mes-si'ah  and 

Si'mon  came  to  see 
Je'sus.  The  visit  so 
pleased  him  that  he,  as 
well  as  John  and 
An'drew,  became  fol- 
lowers of  Je'sus. 

"Je'sus,  the  next 
day,  left  the  River 
Jor'dan  and  journeyed 
to  the  n  o  r  t  h.  On 
the  way  He  met 
another  young  man 
whose  name  was 
Phil'ip.  Je'sus  said  to 
Phil'ip:  'Follow  me,' 
and  he  did  so. 

"Phil'ip  was  so  much 
pleased    with   the    Sa'- 
vior   that    he    went    to 
oxE  OF  THE  DTSCTPLES  WTTo:\r  JESUS  LOVED.  Na-than'a-cl,    a    stud- 


54i  Calls  his  First  Apos'tles 

ious  young  man,  and  told  him  about  Je'sus.  Na-than'a-el  im- 
mediately asked  where  Je'sus  came  from.  Phil'ip  replied  from 
Naz'a-reth.  Na-than'a-el  then  asked  whether  anything  really 
great  could  come  from  so  small  a  town.  PhiFip  was  not  surprised 
at  this  question,  for  while  it  often  happens  that  the  greatest  men 
are  from  country  districts,  yet  it  takes  a  longer  time  for  their 
fame  to  spread,  so  Phil'lp  replied:  'Come  and  see.' 

"Na-than'a-el  was  so  impressed  by  Phil'ip's  straight-for- 
ward answer  that  he  went  at  once  to  see  Je'sus. 

"Je'sus,  on  meeting  Na-than'a-el,  made  some  remarks 
about  Na-than'a-el's  former  actions.  This  surprised  Na-than'a- 
el.    He  began  to  wonder  how  Je'sus  could  know  so  much. 

"Je'sus,  reading  his  thought,  said,  'I  saw  you,  Na-than'a-el, 
sitting  under  a  fig  tree  before  Phil'ip  asked  you  to  come  and  see 
me.'  The  power  to  see  those  absent  settled  the  question  in 
Na-than'a-el's  mind.  He  at  once  cast  his  lot  with  Je'sus  and  be- 
came another  of  His  A-post'les. 

"Je'sus  had  now  gathered  five  A-pos'tles:  John;  An'drew; 
Si'mon;  the  brother  of  An'drew,  whom  Je'sus  called  Pe'ter; 
Phil'ip  and  Na-than'a-el,  also  called  Bar-thol'o-mew.  These 
were  Je'sus'  first  A-pos'tles." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  IX 

Who  came  to  visit  John  in  the  wilderness? 

What  did  they  ask  him  ? 

What  did  John  aniSwcr  them? 

What  did  John  say  when  Jesus  came  the  next  day  ? 

Who  foil  awed  Jesus? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  the  two  men  ? 

Where  did  John  and  Andrew  go  with  Jesus? 

Tell  how  Simon  and  Philip  also  became  followers  of  Christ. 

Tell  about  Nathaniel  and  how  he  happened  to  come  to  Christ. 

Tell  of  the  conversation  between  Jesus  and  Nathaniel. 

Name  the  five  apostles  whom  Jesus  now  had. 


CHAPTER    X 

THE    FIKST    MIRACLE 

Afternoon  Lesson 

In  the  afternoon  Uncle  John  said:  "We  are  now  going  to 
talk  about  Je'sus  on  a  festive  occasion.  We  have  seen  Him 
in  hours  of  thoughtfulness,  in  temptation,  in  selecting  some  of 
His  helpers,  and  now  we  will  see  what  He  does  at  a  marriage 
feast. 

At  this  point,  Pau-line'  said:  "Excuse  me.  Uncle  John,  but 
do  you  think  it  is  true  that  Je'sus  never  smiled?"  "No,  my  dear," 
replied  Uncle  John,  "I  don't  think  that  at  all.  Je'sus  had  a 
beautiful  face,  and  I  am  sure  that,  wliile  it  was  thoughtful  and 
frequently  sad,  it  was  sometimes  full  of  joy." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,"  said  Paul,  "for  it  seems 
nicer  to  think  of  Him  that  way  tlian  to  tliink  of  Him  as  always 
sorrowful." 

Uncle  John  then  said:  "We  are  going  to  talk  this  afternoon 
of  one  special  happy  occasion  in  Je'sus'  life — the  wedding  of 
a  young  woman,  a  friend  of  His,  who  lived  in  Ca'na. 

"But  before  telling  you  about  the  wedding  of  Je'sus'  friend 
perhaps  you  would  like  to  know,"  said  Uncle  John,  "something 
about  the  wedding  ceremonies  of  those  days."  "Indeed  we 
would,"  chimed  in  both  Paul  and  Pau-line'. 

"Well,"  said  Uncle  John,  "it  was  customary  for  the  groom 
and  his  friends  to  go  in  grand  array  to  the  home  of  the  bride. 
In  case  the  wedding  took  place  in  the  evening  they  carried 
torches,  otherwise  they  carried  garlands  of  flowers. 

"When  the  groom's  party  could  be  seen  in  the  distance  it 
was  customary  for  the  bride's  watchers  to  cry  out:  'The  Bride- 
groom cometh,  go  ye  out  to  meet  him.'  Then  the  bride's  friends 
trimmed  their  lamps  or  took  their  garlands  and  went  out  to 
meet  the  groom  and  his  party. 

55 


The  First  Miracle  57 

"On  their  arrival  at  the  house  the  father  of  the  bride,  to 
show  his  approval,  took  a  sash  from  off  his  shoulder  and  put  it 
upon  that  of  the  groom.  Next  he  handed  him  a  sword,  wliich 
declared  stronger  than  words  that  he  now  looked  to  him  to  de- 
fend the  daughter  with  his  own  life.  After  this  ceremony  the 
guests  were  usually  invited  to  a  feast,  the  festivities  often  last- 
ing a  nimiber  of  days. 

"Now,  this  wedding,"  said  Uncle  John,  "which  Je'sus  at- 
tended was  of  a  similar  character.  We  are  told  that  He  was 
not  only  invited,  but  that  Ma'ry,  His  mother,  and  His  newly 
made  friends,  John,  An'drew,  Si'mon,  Pe'ter,  Phirip  and  Na- 
than'a-el  were  among  the  guests.  The  company  was  a  large 
one  and  the  feast  continued  many  days — so  long  indeed  that 
the  wine  which  was  used  freely  at  feasts  in  those  days,  became 
exhausted. 

"Now,  at  tliis  point,  the  mother  of  Je'sus,  knowing  that 
the  wine  was  exhausted  and  that  the  family  were  poor,  said  in 
a  low  voice  to  Je'sus:  'They  have  no  more  wine.' 

"It  so  happened,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  there  stood,,  close 
by,  six  stone  jars.  Je'sus  told  the  servants  to  fill  them  with 
water.  They  did  so.  Drawing  out  some  He  said:  'Go  carry 
this  to  the  master  of  the  feast.' 

"The  wine  was  of  so  fine  a  qualit}^  that  the  governor,  who 
had  charge  of  the  feast,  said  to  the  bridegroom:  'This  wine  is 
more  excellent  than  any  we  have  yet  had.  Indeed  you  have  done 
Avhat  is  not  customaiy,  you  have  saved  the  good  wine  until 
now.' 

"This,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  the  first  wonderful  thing 
Je'sus  did  on  earth,  and  it  is  called  His  first  miracle.  He  per- 
formed it  for  two  reasons:  first,  to  make  people  hapjDy;  sec- 
ondly, to  prove  to  His  A-pos'tles  that  He  was  the  Son  of  God. 

Sunday  night,  lunch  being  announced.  Uncle  John  arose 
to  go  when  Paul  said:    "Doing  wonderful  things  is  called  a  mir- 


58 


The  First  Miracle 


acle  then  is  it,  Uncle  John?"  "Yes,  my  boy,"  answered  his 
Uncle,  "doing  things  by  God's  power,  not  by  natural  means,  is 
called  a  miracle.  We  will  learn  of  many  great  miracles  Je'sus 
did  as  we  go  along." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  X 

What  did  Uncle  John  say  he  would  tell  them  about  in  this  lesson? 

What  did  Pauline  ask  Uncle  John,  and  what  did  he  answer.'' 

How  did  a  young  man  prepare  for  his  wedding? 

What  did  they  carry? 

What  did  the  bride's  friends  and  the  bride's  father  do? 

How  long  did  the  wedding  feast  last? 

At  this  feast  what  came  out? 

What  did  Jesus'  mother  do? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  the  people  to  do  ? 

What  strange  thing  happened  when  they  obeyed  Jesus? 

Tell  what  the  governor  said. 

What  is  a  miracle? 


FOUNTAIN  IN  THE   SECHEM  VALLEY. 


CHAPTER    XI 

CLEANSING    THE    TEMPLE 

Sunday  Morning — Second  Sunday  in  February 

"This  morning  we  go  with  Je'sus  to  the  Sea  of  Gari-lee,  a 
body  of  water  you  hear  a  great  deal  about  in  our  SaVior's  hfe," 
said  Uncle  John.  "This  sea  has  a  number  of  names,  but  it  is 
known  best  as  the  Sea  of  Gal'i-lee. 

"It  was  twelve  miles  long  and  six  miles  wide;  its  deep  blue 
waters  furnished  food  for  all  inhabitants  around.  There  were 
at  this  time  4,000  boats  on  its  waters  and  a  number  of  lovely 
cities  on  its  bank;  flowers  and  fruit  everywhere  abounded,  also 
birds  of  beautiful  plumage.  Four  out  of  the  five  A-pos'tles, 
whom  Je'sus  had  already  selected,  lived  on  its  shores. 

"As  the  A-pos'tles  had  gone  with  Je'sus  to  Ca'na,  so  now 
they  go  with  Him  to  Ca-per'na-um,  a  city  located  on  the  shores 
of  this  famous  Sea  of  Gari-lee.  They  did  not,  however,  re- 
main long  in  Ca-per'na-um,  for  Je'sus  had  planned  to  go  down 
to  Je-ru'sa-lem  to  attend  the  Feast  of  the  Pass'over. 

"It  was  in  the  celebration  of  this  same  Feast,  The  Feast  of 
the  Pass'over,  that  Je'sus  was  lost  when  twelve  years  of  age. 

"So  Je'sus  left  Ca-per'na-um  and,  with  His  disciples,  Ment 
dow^n  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  to  observe  this  feast  with  His  nation. 
The  feast  proper  was  held  at  the  Tem'ple,  the  great  central 
Jew'ish  place  of  worship.  The  building  was  magnificent  be- 
yond description,  a  sort  of  palace  and  church  combined.  It 
contained  many  rooms  and  several  courts.  Here,  all  day  long, 
sacrifices  of.  oxen,  sheep  and  doves  were  offered. 

"Jews,  coming  up  from  other  lands,  brought  foreign  money 
with   them,   M'hich   had    to   be   exchanged    for   the   coin    which 

59 


Cleans'ing  the  Tern' pic  61 

passed  in  Je-ru'sa-leiii.  All  this  extra  trade  made  a  busy  city 
of  Je-ru'sa-leni. 

"Now,  a  part  of  the  Tem'ple  was  called  the  Court  of  the 
Gen'tiles,  which  meant  that  others  besides  Jews  could  enter  it, 
yet  every  part  of  it  was  considered  holy. 

"Instead,  however,  of  keeping  it  holy,  the  money  changers, 
in  their  desire  to  get  rich,  went  into  the  Court  of  the  Gen'tiles 
and  placed  tables  with  money  piled  thereon,  and  not  only  des'e- 
crat-ed  it  but  charged  the  people  ex-or'bi-tant  tariff  for 
exchanging  monej^ 

"Pigeon  merchants  also  went  up  to  the  Temple  with  hun- 
dreds of  doves,  as  also  did  the  cattle  merchants.  Altogether 
it  made  the  Temple  more  like  a  market  place,  in  the  open  street, 
than  a  place  of  worsliip. 

"AVhen  Je'sus  saw  this  He  drove  the  men  out  and  compelled 
them  to  take  out  the  sheep,  oxen,  tables  and  money.  He  cleared 
it  all  out. 

"Naturally,  these  merchants  did  not  like  it,  and  they  asked 
Him  by  what  authority  He  did  this  work  and  what  sign  He 
could  show  them  that  He  had  a  right  to  do  such  a  thing. 

"Je'sus'  answer  was  a  strange  one  and  no  one  could  under- 
stand it  at  that  time,  but  it  was  plainly  understood  three  years 
later  when  He  died  on  the  cross,  was  buried,  and  arose  from  the 
grave. 

"This  was  His  answer:  'Destroy  this  Temple  and  in  three 
days  I  will  raise  it  up  again.'  "Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "had 
reference  to  the  body  of  man  which  is  the  temple  of  the  Soul. 
They  thought  He  had  reference  to  the  great  Jew'ish  Temple 
which  was  forty-six  years  in  building." 

"Was  it  not  strange,  Uncle  John,"  said  Paul,  "that  Je'sus 
should  so  often  speak  in  figures  and  parables  to  the  common 
people?" 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  this  was  His  way  of  impress- 
ing facts  upon  their  minds.     They  studied  over  His  sa^nngs, 


62 


Cleans' ing  the  Tern' pie 


DAMASCl'S  GATE— .7 ERUSALElSr. 

and  the  longer  they  thought  about  it  the  greater  meaning  they 
got  out  of  it." 

"I  really  didn't  know  that  the  Bible  was  so  full  of  good 
stories,"  said  Pau-line'.  "It  is  really  better  than  the  A-rab'i-an 
Knights.     I  am  sorry  our  lessons  are  not  twice  as  long."         , 

With  this  Uncle  John  gave  her  a  kiss  and  said:  "Let  us  now 
go  out  where  Jack  Frost  can  nibble  our  noses."  So  off  thev 
went  for  a  stroll. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XI 

What  little  sea  and  city  does  this  lesson  begin  with? 
Where  did  Christ  and  his  apostles  go  from  Capernaum? 
What  wicked  men  did  Jesus  find  in  the  temple,  and  Avhat  did  he  do  to 
them  ? 

What  did  these  wicked  men  say  to  Jesus  ? 
What  did  Jesus  answer? 


CHAPTER    XII 


THE   GOOD   NOBLEMAN 

Afternoon  Lesson 

In  the  afternoon  the  children  assembled  early  to  hear  Uncle 
John's  story  of  Nic-o-de'mus,  a  nobleman  by  birth,  who  lived  in 
Je-ru'sa-lem.  "Nic-o-de'mus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  called  a 
ruler  of  the  Jews  because  he  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Council  which  took  charge  of  the  official  business  of  the  Jew'- 
ish  nation.     He  was  a  man  of  influence  and  a  man  of  wealth. 

"Nic-o-de'mus  came  to  see  Je'sus  during  the  Feast  of  the 
Pass'over.     He  did  not,  however,  wish  any  one  to  know  it,  so 

he  visited  Him  at 
night.  There  was,  also, 
another  reason  for  his 
visit  at  night,  for  by 
night  he  and  Je'sus 
had  more  time  to  talk, 
both  being  busy  during 
the  day. 

"Nic-o-de'mus  had 
heard  much  of  Je'sus, 
had  been  watching  His 
work,  and  had  some- 
times, no  doubt,  list- 
ened to  His  words. 

"During  the  visit 
Je'sus  remarked  that 
every  person  Avho  in- 
herited eternal  life 
must  be  born  again. 
NicODEMUs  VISITS  JESUS  AT  NIGHT.         Nic-o-de'mus    did    not 

63 


64 


The  Good  Nohle'man 


understand  what  'being  born  again'  meant,  so  he  said  to  Je'sus: 
'Is  it  necessary  for  every  person  who  inlierits  eternal  Hfe  to  be- 
come a  babe  again?'  Jesus  said,  'No,  not  in  the  sense  of  help- 
lessness, but  in  childlike  simplicity.' 

"Being  born  again  was  a  new  idea  to  Nic-o-de'mus,  but 
the  more  he  thought  about  it  the  more  convinced  he  was  that 
Je'sus  was  right.  From  this  time  on,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Nic- 
o-de'mus  had  many  opportunities  to  prove  his  friendship  for 
Je'sus  and  he  never  failed  to  do  so,  even  at  the  cross  when  oth- 
ers turned  against  Him." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XII 

Who  was  the  prominent  man  Uncle  John  tells  about  in  this  lesson.'' 
When  did  he  come  to  see  Jesus,  and  at  what  time? 
What  did  Jesus  tell  him  about  being  born  again? 
Was  Nicodemus  a  friend  or  an  enemy  of  Jesus  ? 


JACOB'S  WELL. 


CHRIST  AND  THE  WOMAN  OF  SAMARIA. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

je'sus  at  jacobus  well 
Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  February 

"This  morning,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  they  gathered  around 
the  big  fire  j)lace  for  another  delightful  hour,  "we  will  go  with 
Je'sus  and  His  five  A-j)os'tles  to  a  very  interesting  well  in  the 
country  of  Sa-ma'ri-a. 

"Je'sus  after  attending  the  Feast  of  the  Pass'over  and  be- 
coming acquainted  with  Nic-o-de'mus  and  others,  left  Je-ru'- 
sa-lem  for  Naz'a-reth.  He  did  not  take  the  road  that  His  coun- 
trymen usually  traveled,  but  went  by  way  of  Sa-ma'ri-a.  The 
Sa-mar'i-tans  had  long  been  hostile  to  the  Jews,  but  this  did 
not  affect  Je'sus,  for  He  loved  all  people. 

"The  ill  feeling  between  the  two  nations,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"was  caused  by  a  little  thing,  yet  it  ended  in  a  most  unpleasant 
way.  It  happened  in  this  manner:  Ze-rub'-ba-bel,  with  his  fel- 
low Jews,  many  years  previous,  had  come  up  from  Per'si-a  to 
build  the  Tem'ple  in  Je-ru'sa-lem.  The  Sa-mar'i-tans  insisted 
upon  helping  build  it  and  to  worship  with  them. 

"Now  the  Sa-mar'i-tans  were  a  mixture  of  all  sorts  of  peo- 
ple whose  religion  differed  from  the  Jews,  so  the  latter  refused 
their  help.  The  Sa-mar'i-tans  did  not  like  it  and  tried  to  stop 
the  building  of  the  temple.  The  Jews  persevered,  although  the 
consent  of  the  Sa-mar'i-tans  was  most  trying  and  sometimes 
necessitated  a  resort  to  arms.  Thus  it  was,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"that  the  Jews  and  the  Sa-mar'i-tans  became  the  bitterest  of 
enemies  and  remained  so  for  many  centuries. 

"Now  Je'sus,  while  passing  through  Sa-ma'ri-a,  came  to 
what  is  known  in  history  as  Ja'cob's  well.  We  are  told  in  the 
Old  Tes'ta-ment  that  it  was  near  this  well  that  A'-bra'-ham  of- 

66 


Je'sus  at  Ja'cobs  Well 


67 


fered  up  his  son  I'saac  as  a  sacrifice.  Here,  also,  Josh'u-a  gath- 
ered the  Jew'ish  people  together  for  a  religious  service  after 
coming  up  from  E'gypt  and  conquering  the  idolators. 

"It  was  near  here,  also,  that  Ja'cob  gave  some  land  to  Jo'- 
seph.  Ja'cob  had  drank  out  of  the  well  and  so  had  his  family. 
For  this  last  reason  it  was  named,  'Ja'cob's  Well.' 

"So  it  was  to  tliis  interesting  well  that  Je'sus  came  with  His 
A-pos'tles,  as  He  was  passing  through  Sa-ma'ri-a.  Here  He 
stopped  to  rest  while  His  A-pos'tles  went  into  the  city  near  by 
for  something  to  eat. 

"As  He  sat  there  resting,  a  woman  came  to  draw  water 
from  the  well.  Je'sus,  having  no  way  of  drawing  water  for 
Himself,  asked  her  to  give  Him  a  drink.  She  looked  up,  rather 
surprised,  and  said:  'You  are  a  Jew;  how  is  it  that  you  ask  me, 
a  Sa-mar'i-tan,  to  give  you  a  drink?'  Je'sus  replied:  'If  thou 
hadst  asked  me  for  water,  I  would  have  given  thee  living  water 
and  thou  wouldst  never  have  thirsted  again.' 

"Strangely  enough,  this  woman  did  not  understand  Je'sus, 
yet  she  felt  He  was  sincere,  so  she  said:  'Give  me  of  that  Hving 


RUINS  OF 
SAMARIA. 


68 


Je'sus  at  Ja'cohs  Well 


water,  that  I  may  never  thirst.'  Je'sus  could  read  her  life  like 
an  open  book;  she  had  been  neither  good  nor  holy.  He,  how- 
ever, told  her  that  from  that  time  on,  she  could  be  as  good  as 
when  a  girl  at  her  mother's  knee. 

"Knowing  that  Je'sus  was  a  Jew,  yet  feeling  He  was,  in  in- 
tellect and  holiness,  much  above  the  ordinary  man,  she  asked 
Je'sus  which  He  considered  the  proper  place  in  which  to  wor- 
ship— Je-ru'sa-lem  or   Sa-ma'ria? 


THE  WOMAN'S  RETURN  FROM  THE  WELL. 


"Je'sus  replied:  'The  worship  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  is  better  of 
the  two,  but  the  time  has  come  when  it  is  not  necessary  for  man 
to  go  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  or  to  Sa-ma'ri-a  to  worship,  for  the  true 
temple  is  in  each  human  heart.' 

"Before  the  conversation  was  concluded,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"the  A-pos'tles  returned  from  the  city.  They  were  surprised  to 
find  Je'sus  talking  to  a  Sa-mar'i-tan,  yet  they  said  nothing,  ex- 
cept to  ask  Him  to  come  and  eat  the  bread  they  had  obtained. 


Je'sus  at  Ja'cohs  Well  69 

"Je'sus,  in  the  meantime,  had  forgotten  His  hunger  in  His 
desire  to  help  this  woman,  so  He  said  to  them,  in  His  charac- 
teristic way,  'I  have  bread  to  eat  that  ye  know  not  of.' 

"While  Je'sus  was  conversing  with  His  A-pos'tles,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "the  woman  ran  away,  forgetting  the  vessel  she 
had  brought  for  water.  She  aroused  the  people  of  the  town 
saying:  'Come  and  see  a  man  that  has  told  me  all  I  ever  did.  Is 
not  this  the  Christ?'     So  the  whole  town  ran  toward  the  well. 

"When  Je'sus  saw  them  coming  He  turned  to  His  A-pos'- 
tles,  saying:  'Look  at  the  people!  Ye  say  it  is  four  months  be- 
fore Harvest  time,  but  I  say  to  you  that  the  field  is  white  al- 
ready to  harvest.' 

"What  did  Je'sus  mean?"  said  Paul. 

"You  see,  Paul,  Je'sus  is  again  using  language  that  has 
deep  meaning,"  said  Uncle  John.  "He  meant  that  they  were 
now  ready  to  hear  about  God. 

"And  so  it  happened  as  Je'sus  had  predicted.  The  Sa-mar'- 
i-tans  invited  Him  and  His  A-pos'tles  home  with  them  to  learn 
more  about  the  Mes-si'ah.  The  few  days  spent  in  Sa-ma'ri-a 
were  among  the  happiest  of  Je'sus'  life." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XIII 

Where  do  we  find  Jesus  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter? 
Tell  why  the  Samaritans  and  Jews  did  not  like  each  other. 
Tell  something  about  the  famous  well  and  why  it  was  called  Jacob's 
well. 

Where  did  the  apostles  go  while  Jesus  rested  at  the  well? 

As  Jesus  was  sitting  by  the  well  who  came,  and  what  did  Jesus  ask  her? 

What  did  the  woman  reply,  and  what  did  Jesus  say? 

What  did  the  woman  ask  him  to  do? 

Where  did  Jesus  tell  the  woman  was  the  proper  place  to  worship  ? 

While  Jesus  was  conversing  with  his  apostles  what  did  the  woman  do? 

What  did  all  the  people  do  ? 

What  did  Jesus  say  when  he  saw  them  coming? 

What  did  he  mean  by  that? 


CHAPTER    XIV 

je'sus  at  the  old  home — naz'a-reth 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"I  think,  Uncle,"  said  Paul,  "it  was  fine  that  Je'sus  won 
the  love  and  respect  of  those  Sa-mar'i-tans." 

"Yes,  it  was  beautiful,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  this  after- 
noon we  have  the  reverse.  Je'sus  goes  among  those  whom  He 
had  known  and  loved  and  they  refuse  to  receive  Him. 

"After  leaving  Ja'cob's  well  He  went  with  His  A-pos'tles 
back  to  Naz'a-reth,  his  old  home.  He  had  now  become  famous 
and  the  people  in  His  boyhood  home  expected  Him  to  do  won- 
derful work  among  them. 

"They  were,  in  fact,  jealous  of  His  name.  Some  among 
them  planned  to  test  His  ability  to  perform  miracles.  The  first 
opportunity  that  presented  itself  was  at  the  Sun'day  morning 
service  held  at  the  syn'a-gogue. 

"It  was  customary  in  those  days  to  read  a  portion  of  the 
first  five  books  of  the  Bible  for  the  first  lesson,  and  a  part  of 
one  of  the  proph'-ets  for  the  second  lesson.  The  sermon  fol- 
lowed the  second  lesson.  After  the  first  lesson  had  been  read, 
the  service  was  turned  over  to  Je'sus.  He  then  read  from  the 
Proph'et  I-sa'iah  and  sat  down  as  was  His  custom  to  make  re- 
marks. He  began  by  saying:  'This  day  is  the  Scrip'ture  ful- 
filled in  your  hearing,  for  the  Spir'it  of  God  is  upon  me,  and  He 
hath  annointed  me  to  preach.' 

"They  listened,  at  first,  with  great  attention.  He  had  a 
beautiful  voice  and  His  words  were  most  tender.  He  told  them 
He  had  come  to  build  up  broken  hearts  and  to  set  free  all  those 
who  were  bound  by  sin.  'Indeed,'  said  He,  'this  is  an  accept- 
able year,  sent  to  you  from  God  and  I  have  come  to  tell  you 

of  it. 

70 


Jc'siifi  at  the  Old  Home 


71 


"They  were  deeply  impressed  with  the  fact  that  He  was  the 
greatest  speaker  they  had  ever  heard.  They  wondered  at  this, 
knowing  He  had  been  with  them  all  His  life,  was  the  son  of 
Jo'seph,  the  carpenter,  and  without  a  college  education. 

"All  went  well  until  He  declared  He  was  the  Mes-si^ah.  A 
look  of  anger  then  crept  into  their  faces,  but  He  halted  not. 
Reading  their  hearts  He  said:  'I  perceive  you  desire  me  to  do 
the  things  I  have  done  in  Ca-per'na-um.     Let  me  say  to  you 


RUINS  OF  JOSEPH'S  HOUSE. 


that  a  proijh'et  is  not  \^'ithout  honor  save  in  His  own  land.  If 
I  do  not  perform  the  works  in  Naz'a-reth  that  I  do  in  Ca-per'- 
na-um,  I  but  follow  the  example  of  proph'ets  like  E-li'jah  and 
E-li'sha.' 

"They  listened  to  Him  up  to  this  point,  then  they  rushed 
upon  Him  and  dragged  Him  from  the  syn'a-gogue. 

"Naz'a-reth  you  will  remember,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was 
built  on  the  side  of  a  high  hill.  The  people  took  Je'sus  to  the 
top  intending  to  throw  Him  over  the  precipice,  but  they 
changed  their  minds,  why,  we  do  not  know.  I  suppose  there 
were  men  in  the  company  who  had  been  with  Him  when  a  boy 
and  now  regretted  this  act  on  their  part,  or  more  likely,  God 
directly  intervened.     At  any  rate,  when  they  got  to  the  top  of 


72 


Je'sus  at  the  Old  Home 


A  STREET  IN  NAZARETH. 


the  hill,  they  took  their  hands  off  Him  and  He  passed  through 
their  midst  and  went  His  way. 

"We  do  not  know  whether  He  stopped  at  the  old  home  or 
not.  We  only  know  that  He  left  Naz'a-reth  never  to  return, 
going  first  to  Ca'na,  and  there  waiting  for  God  to  lead  Him." 

"Did  Je'sus'  parents  still  live  there?"  asked  Pau-hne'.  "The 
mother  did  up  to  this  time,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Now  it  was  too 
sad  on  the  one  hand,  and  too  dangerous  on  the  other,  for  the 
mother  and  brothers  to  stay  in  Naz'a-reth,  so  they  left  the  town 
forever.    The  father  is  supposed  to  have  died  long  years  before. 

"I  never  knew  that  before,"  said  Paul.  "No,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "Je'sus  does  not  dwell  upon  it.  We  only  know  He  had 
many  dark  sad  hours  and  they  grew  darker  as  time  advanced." 


CHAPTER   XV 


LOOKING   ON    WHILE    JE'SUS    PERFORMS   MIRACLES 

3Iornmg  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  February 

"I  think,"  said  Uncle  John  to  the  children,  "that  it  will  be 
interesting  to-day  for  us  to  take  a  short  trip  with  Je'sus.  Just 
let  us  follow  Him  for  a  day  and  a  night  and  see  what  He  does." 
Paul  and  Pau-line'  both  agreed,  saying  they  thought  it  would 
be  fine. 

"You  will  remember,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Je'sus,  after 
leaving  Naz'a-reth,  went  to  Ca'na,  a  town  about  twenty  miles 
from  Naz'a-reth,  where  he  had  once  attended  the  marriage  of 
His  friend.  While  at  Ca'na,  a  nobleman  came  up  from  Ca- 
pei'^na-um  to  see  Je'sus  about  a  sick  son.  He  told  Je'sus  that 
his  son  was  at  the  point  of  death  and  urged  Him  to  go  home 
with  him  and  heal  the  son.  Je'sus  did  not  think  it  necessary  to 
go  for  He  could  heal  without  being  present.     So  he  talked  with 

the  nobleman  a 
little  regarding 
the  case,  and  then 
said:  'Your  son 
is  even  now 
healed.' 

"The  father  had 
so  much  faith  in 
Je'sus'  words  that 
he  did  not  go 
home  that  night, 
the  distance  being 
great,  but  stopped 
on  the  way  to  rest. 
SEA  OF  GALILEE  NEAR  CArERNAUM.  The   ucxt   day  as 

73 


74  Je'sus  Performs  Miracles 

the  nobleman  neared  home,  the  servants  came  to  meet  him,  say- 
ing, 'Thy  son  is  well.'  The  father  inquired  when  the  fever  left 
the  son  and  he  found  that  it  dated  to  a  minute  from  the  time  Je'- 
sus had  said,  'He  is  even  now  healed.' 

"A  few  days  after  Je'sus  had  healed  the  nobleman's  son. 
He  went  down  to  Ca-per'na-unTj.  Je'sus'  people  were  now  living 
there,  but  instead  of  stoj^ping  with  them.  He  stayed  with 
Pe'ter,  His  A-pos'tle. 

"Je'sus,  on  reaching  Pe'ter's  house,  found  his  wife's  mother 
sick  with  a  fever.  Je'sus  first  healed  her  and  then  dined.  After 
that  He  went  to  the  syn'a-gogue,  for  it  was  the  Sab'bath  day 
and  He  was  expected  to  talk.  The  syn'a-gogue  was  crowded 
with  people  to  hear  Him. 

"While  He  was  preaching  a  voice  broke  through  the  silence. 
It  came  from  a  poor  creature  called  a  De-mo'ni-ac — one  who 
was  under  the  influence  of  bad  spirits.  Je'sus  felt  sorry  for  him 
and  commanded  the  evil  spirits  to  come  out.  The  de-mo'ni-ac 
fell  to  the  ground,  foaming  at  the  mouth,  for  evil  is  hard  to  get 
rid  of,  but  Je'sus  persevered  and  the  man  arose  from  the 
ground,  cured  in  body  and  mind. 

"Such  preaching  and  such  power  had  never  before  been 
seen  or  heard  and  the  people  went  out  of  the  Syn'a-gogue,  full 
of  wonder. 

"From  the  Syn'a-gogue,  Je'sus  went  back  to  Pe'ter's  house, 
where  He  had  a  brief  rest.  He  was  not  permitted,  however,  to 
rest  long,  for,  as  soon  as  the  sun  began  to  go  down  a  great 
crowd  of  folks,  the  sick,  the  lame,  the  deaf,  the  halt  and  the 
blind,  began  to  gather  about  the  house.  Je'sus,  as  usual,  went 
out  and  healed  them. 

"That  night,  or  rather  in  the  morning,  whilst  it  was  yet 
dark,  Je'sus  went  silently  out  of  the  house  into  a  quiet  place 
to  pray. 

"Prayer  always  rested  and  strengthened  Je'sus,  but  He  was 


Je'sus  Performs  Miracles 


75 


not  permitted  to  be  in  silence  long,  for  all  His  old  friends,  to- 
gether with  His  new,  sought  Him  out  and  begged  Him  to 
come  and  stay  with  them. 

"Je'sus,  ever  true  to  His  mission,  told  them  that  other  cities 
needed  His  work.  He  consented,  however,  to  make  one  more 
talk,  not  in  the  Syn'a-gogue,  but  in  the  open  air.    He  chose  for 


JESUS  PREACHING  TO  THE  PEOPLE. 

His  pulpit  a  boat,  which  He  pushed  a  little  way  from  shore. 
The  people  sat  on  the  banks  and  eagerly  listened  to  all  He  said. 

"When  the  sermon  was  over,  Je'sus  told  His  fisherman 
friends  to  push  out  into  the  lake  and  let  their  nets  down  for  a 
draught  of  fishes. 

"Pe'ter  said  to  the  SaVior:  'It  will  be  useless,  for  we  have 
been  out  all  night  and  caught  nothing.'  'But,'  said  Je'sus,  'Cast 
the  nets  on  the  right  side  of  the  boat.' 

"Now  a  remarkable  scene  followed;  thev  let  down  the  nets 


76  Je'sus  Performs  Miracles 

and  immediately  they  swarmed  with  fish.  This  greatly  pleased 
the  A-pos'tles,  for  they  had  fished  all  night  and  caught  nothing, 
yet  they  needed  the  money  which  the  fish  would  bring. 

"Pe'ter  now  felt  humiliated  because  he  had  doubted  Je'sus 
and  said  to  Him:  'Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man.' 

"This  remark  of  Pe'ter's  did  not  mean,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"that  he  wanted  Je'sus  to  go  away,  but  he  realized  Je'sus'  great- 
ness and  his  own  unworthiness,  and  this  was  the  best  way  he 
could  express  himself. 

"Je'sus  said  to  him:  'Pe'ter,  thou  art  worthy  not  only  to 
catch  fish,  but,  henceforth,  thou  shalt  be  worthy  to  be  a  fisher  of 
men,  to  bring  them  to  God.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XV 

From  Nazareth  where  did  Jesus  go? 
Why  did  the  nobleman  visit  Jesus  at  Cana? 
What  did  Jesus  tell  him? 

What  strange  thing  did  the  father  find  when  he  got  home? 
What  city  did  Jesus  now  go  to,  and  at  whose  house  did  he  stay? 
After  healing  Peter's  wife's  mother  what  did  Jesus  do? 
Tell  about  the  cure  Jesus  made  in  the  synagogue. 
Where  did  Jesus  go  and  what  did  he  do  after  preaching  in  the  syna- 
gogue ? 

When  the  people  begged  Jesus  to  remain,  why  did  he  not  remain? 
From  what  strange  place  did  Jesus  preach  to  the  people? 
How  did  Jesus  help  the  apostles  catch  fish? 
What  did  Jesus  tell  Peter  he  was  worthy  to  catch? 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THE  TWELVE  APOSTLES  AND   THE  SERMON   ON   THE   MOUNT 

Afternoon  Lesson 

As  Uncle  John,  Paul  and  Pau-line'  assembled  for  the  after- 
noon lesson,  Uncle  John  asked  them  if  they  knew  the  differ- 
ence between  the  word  Dis-ci'ples  and  the  word  A-pos'tles. 
"Both  of  these  words,"  he  said,  "are  used  a  great  deal  in  the 
New  Tes'ta-ment,  but  the  word  Dis-ci'ples  is  spoken  of  first." 

Uncle  John  then  told  the  children  that  Dis-ci'jAes  included 
all  the  people  who  loved  Je'sus  and  followed  His  teachings. 
"You  and  I,"  He  said,  "as  we  sit  here  studying  His  words,  are 
His  Dis-ci'ples.  It  is  a  term  used  by  all  nations  who  have  the 
thought  of  Christ  in  their  hearts  and  endeavored  to  follow  Him. 

"Now,  the  word  A-pos'tles"  said  Uncle  John,  "is  different. 
It  is  a  name  given  to  twelve  men  whom  Je'sus  selected  from 
among  His  most  faithful  followers. 

"These  twelve  He  especially  trained  for  His  work,  and  sent 
them  out  into  the  world  to  preach  His  Gos'pel,  to  heal  the  sick, 
restore  sight  and  do  all  manner  of  great  works. 

"Up  to  this  time  Je'sus  had  selected  only  five  A-pos'tles, 
and  these  five  had  not  yet  given  their  whole  time  to  His  work. 
They  had  only  assisted  Him,  off  and  on,  as  He  required  their 
services. 

"Soon  after  the  mi-rac'u-lous  draught  of  fishes  wliich  we 
talked  about  this  morning,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  was 
walking  on  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  GaFi-lee,  when  He  saw  four 
of  the  five  A-pos'tles,  already  selected,  mending  their  nets.  He 
said  to  them:  'Follow  Me.'  The  four  at  once  left  their  nets 
and  followed  Him. 

"Je'sus  soon  chose  enough  more  A-pos'tles  to  make  the  num- 
ber twelve.     One  of  these  was  Mat'thew,  a  Ro'man  tax  gath- 

77 


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The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  79 

erer.  Je'siis  came  across  JNIat'thew  at  the  Cus'tom  House  tak- 
ing in  mone3^  Tax  gatherers  were  generally  hated  by  the  Jews, 
although,  sometimes,  for  no  special  reason  except  that  they  rep- 
resented the  Ro'man  government,  which  had  long  years  before 
conquered  the  Jews. 

"Je'sus,  not  looking  at  men  from  their  position  in  the  world, 
but  from  their  heart,  saw  that  Mat'thew  wished  to  be  a  better 
man,  and  said  to  him:  'Follow  Me.'  Mat'thew  at  once  arose 
and  followed  Je'sus.  He  became  a  most  faithful  A-pos'tle  and 
a  great  writer.  It  is  from  his  writings  that  we  have  the  first 
account  of  Je'sus'  life. 

"Now  I  take  it  for  granted,"  said  Uncle  John,  "you  are 
pretty  good  to  remember  names,  so  we  will  say  over  the  names 
of  the  twelve  A-pos'tles  whom  Je'sus  selected.  In  case  you  for- 
get them  you  will  find  them  recorded  in  the  sixth  chapter  of 
Luke.  They  are  as  follows:  Si'mon  (whom  Je'sus  called 
Pe'ter) ,  An'drew  (his  brother) ,  James  and  John,  Philip  and 
Bar-thoFo-mew,  Mat'thew  and  Thom'as,  James  (the  son  of  Al- 
phae'us),  Si'man  (sometimes  called  Ze-lo'tes),  Ju'das  (the 
brother  of  James)   and  Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot,  the  traitor. 

"Now,"  said  Uncle  John,  "let  us  repeat  them  in  concert,  so 
we  wull  never  forget  them."  "All  right,"  said  both  children,  and 
so  they  went  over  them  again  as  follows : 

"Si'mon  (whom  Je'sus  called  Pe'ter),  Andrew  (his  broth- 
er), James  and  John,  Phil'ip  and  Bar-thoro-mew,  Mat'thew 
and  Thom'as,  James  (the  son  of  Al-phae'us),  Si'mon  (some- 
times called  Ze-lo'tes),  Ju'das  (the  brother  of  James),  and 
Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot,  the  traitor. 

"Early  in  the  morning,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  people,  as 
usual,  came  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  hear  Je'sus  speak 
and  to  be  healed  of  their  diseases. 

"At  this  time  Je'sus  delivered  the  greatest  Sermon  of  His 
life,  'The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.'     This  Sermon  was  the  real 


80 


The  Sefmon  on  the  Mount 


CHRIST   AND    THE   FISHERMEN. 


beginning  of  Je'sus'   work,   and  announced   His  views  to  the 
world. 

"During  the  Sermon,  Je'sus,  to  illustrate  the  difference  be- 
tween wise  and  foolish  people  said,  'Some  build  their  houses  on 
the  sand,  and  when  the  wind  and  rain  come  they  wash  away. 
Others  build  their  houses  upon  rock.  The  rains  come  and  the 
winds  blow,  but  they  fall  not.'  'So,'  said  Je'sus,  'if  any  one  hear 
these  sayings  of  mine  and  doeth  them,  I  will  liken  him  unto  a 
wise  man  who  built  his  house  on  a  rock.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XVI 

Who  are  the  disciples  of  Jesus? 

Who  was  Matthew?     Tell  about  Jesus  calling  him. 

What  great  sermon  did  Jesus  preach? 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A  DAY  OF  MIRACLES 

Morning  Lesson — Fii'st  Sunday  in  March 

"We  are  growing  so  interested  in  Je'sus'  life,  Uncle,"  said 
Paul  during  the  week,  "that  I  almost  wish  we  had  these  lessons 
on  week  days  as  well  as  Sun'days." 

"I  am  happy  this  is  so,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Next  Sun'day 
we  shall  have  an  exceedingly  fine  lesson." 

When  Sun'day  morning  came  and  all  were  assembled.  Uncle 
John  said:  "Last  Sun'day,  you  remember,  we  left  Je'sus  after 
He  had  finished  His  sermon  on  the  Mount.  When  the  sermon 
was  over,  Je'sus  came  down  and  all  the  people  followed. 

"Je'sus  had  not  gone  far  when  He  met  a  man  with  a  disease 
known  as  the  leprosy.  This  disease  is  a  dreadful  one,  for  it  is 
contagious  and  no  physician  has  yet  found  a  cure.  It  is  the  most 
loathsome  of  all  blood  diseases.  Lepers  were  not  permitted  to 
come  inside  of  a  city  or  near  to  any  person.  They  were  com- 
pelled, when  at  a  distance,  to  cry  out  'Unclean/  so  that  people 
might  be  warned  and  get  out  of  the  way. 

"This  poor  creature,  upon  meeting  Je'sus,  said  to  Him, 
'Lord,  if  Thou  wilt.  Thou  canst  make  me  clean.'  Je'sus  stepped 
forward  at  once  and,  placing  His  hand  upon  the  sick  man's 
head,  said:  'I  will,  be  thou  clean,'  and  the  leper  was  immedi- 
ately cured. 

"This  was  the  most  wonderful  thing  so  far  that  Je'sus  had 
done,  yet  He  went  quietly  on  His  way  to  Ca-per'na-um  as  if 
nothing  had  happened. 

"The  leper's  joy  knew  no  bounds.  He  had  been  given  up  as 
dead  and  now,  to  return  home  restored,  filled  him  with  great 

joy- 

81 


82 


A  Day  of  3Iiracles 


"At  Ca-per'na-um  some  officials  from  the  Syn'a-gogue  came 
to  Je'sus,  urging  Him  to  go  to  the  house  of  a  certain  Centurion 
and  cure  his  servant. 

"Now,  a  Cen-tu'ri-on  was  an  officer  in  the  army  who  com- 
manded one  hundred  men.  These  officials  felt,  in  order  to  per- 
suade Je'sus  that  the  man  was  worthy,  that  they  must  extol  the 
Cen-tu'ri-on's  character,  so  they  proceeded  to  say  all  manner  of 
good  things,  which  were  true,  about  the  Cen-tu'ri-on,  but  which 
were  really  unnecessary,  for  Je'sus  was  ever  willing  to  heal 
when  He  felt  that  people  were  ready  to  be  healed. 

"Je'sus  started  at  once  to  the  Cen-tu'ri-on's  home  and  was 
well  on  the  way  when  the  Cen-tu'ri-on  sent  Him  word  saying: 
'Lord,  trouble  not  Thyself:  I  am  not  worthy  that  Thou  shouldst 
enter  under  my  roof,  neither  am 
I  worthy  to  come  unto  Thee,  but 
say  the  word  and  my  servant 
shall  be  healed,  for  I  am  a  sol- 
dier, I  say  to  one  of  mj^  men, 
^go!'  and  he  goeth;  to  another, 
^cornel'  and  he  cometh,  and  to 
another,  'do  this!"  and  he  doeth 
it.  Now  if  I  can  do  this  with 
men,  then  You,  who  are  greater 
than  I,  can  command  disease  to 
go  out  of  my  servant.' 

"Je'sus  was  so  impressed  with 
the  Cen-tu'ri-on's  faith  that  He 
at  once  spoke  the  word  and  the 
servant  recovered  his  health. 

"Do  you  not  notice,  dear  chil- 
dren," said  Uncle  John,  "that 
it  was  faith  that  enabled  Je'sus 
to  do  so  many  wonderful  things. 
He,     himself,     often     preached  the  leper 


A  Day  of  Miracles  83 

upon  this  very  subject.  Once  He  said  in  one  of  His  sermons :  'If 
you  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  you  shall  be  able  to 
say  to  this  mountain,  he  thou  removed!  and  it  shall  be  done.' 

"So  many  people  were  now  following  Je'sus  about  that  His 
mother  and  brothers  who,  as  you  remember,  came  to  Ca-per'- 
na-um  to  live,  and  tried  to  interfere.  They  did  not  sympathize 
with  Je'sus  in  His  work,  neither  did  they  understand  Him. 

"Je'sus  replied  not  to  their  exhortations,  but  left  Ca-per'- 
na-um  for  Na'in,  still  preaching  the  way  of  salvation  and  heal- 
ing all  people  who  came  unto  Him." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XVII 

What  kind  of  a  disease  is  leprosy? 

Tell  about  the  meeting  between  Jesus  and  the  leper. 

Tell  about  Jesus  healing  the  leper. 

Who  came  to  Jesus  at  Capernaum  ? 

Who  is  a  centurion? 

Tell  about  a  centurion. 

What  message  did  Jesus  receive  on  the  way? 

Did  Jesus  cure  the  servant,  and  how? 

Who  tried  to  interfere  with  Jesus'  work  and  why? 

Where  did  Jesus  go  next? 


RUINS  AT  NAIN. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

je'sus  at  na'in 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"In  our  lesson  this  afternoon  we  shall  have  more  about  mir- 
acles," said  Uncle  John,  "but  first  let  us  peep  at  the  town  of 
Na'in  where  Je'sus  went  after  He  left  Ca-per'na-um,  and  note 
His  way  of  getting  there. 

"In  O-ri-en^tal  countries,  people,  when  going  on  a  long 
journey,  start  at  break  of  day,  or  even  before  break  of  day,  so 
as  to  compass  a  long  distance  before  the  sun  gets  hot.  Na'in 
was  twenty-five  miles  southwest  from  Ca-per'na-um.  Je'sus,  no 
doubt,  first  sailed  the  southern  end  of  the  Sea  of  Gari-lee  and 
then  went  the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot.  The  town  of  Na'in  was 
at  the  foothills  of  Little  Her'man  mountain,  as  beautiful  in 
situation  as  Naz'a-reth. 

84 


Je'sus  at  Na'in  85 

"Je'sus,  on  entering  this  city,  met  a  funeral  procession  with 
a  large  number  of  mourners.  It  was  that  of  a  young  man,  the 
son  of  a  widowed  mother.  Je'sus  was,  as  usual,  touched  by  sor- 
row, so  asked  the  bearers,  who  were  carrying  the  body,  to  halt. 
Je'sus  then  put  His  hand  on  the  young  fellow  and  said :  'I  say 
unto  thee,  young  man,  arise.'  The  young  man  arose  at  once 
and  Je'sus  restored  him  to  his  mother. 

"This,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  the  first  time  that  Je'sus  had 
raised  the  dead.  Now  all  these  wonderful  works  would  have 
made  most  men  conceited,  but  not  so  with  Je'sus.  It  did  not 
puff  Him  up  or  make  Him  any  different  toward  His  friends 
than  before.  He  was,  however,  of  such  a  sympathetic  nature 
that  the  sorrow  and  suffering  with  which  He  came  in  contact, 
wore  upon  Him  physically.  More  than  this,  you  must  remem- 
ber," said  Uncle  John,  "He  had  no  permanent  home  and  but 
little  rest.  His  relatives,  even  His  mother,  were  not  in  sym- 
pathy with  His  work.  All  this  was  having  its  effect  upon  His 
constitution. 

"About  this  time,  too,  a  new  grief  came  into  His  life.  Soon 
after  restoring  the  young  man  to  life,  a  message  came  to  Je'sus 
from  His  friend,  John  the  Bap'tist,  containing  strange  words. 

'^There  was  at  this  time,"  said  Uncle  John,  "a  wicked  King 
ruling  over  the  Jews,  whose  name  was  Her'od  An'ti-pas.  For 
this  reason  Her'od  had  John  arrested,  and  placed  in  a  lonely 
cell  on  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Like  many  good  men  of 
to-day,  John  began  to  lose  faith  in  God  because  He  did  not 
rescue  him  from  prison,  he  even  began  to  doubt  there  being  a 
Mes-si'ah?" 

"How  could  he?"  said  Pau-line'.  "Don't  you  remember, 
Uncle  John,  that  God  sent  a  white  dove  as  a  sign  from  heaven 
at  the  time  John  baptized  Je'sus,  proving  that  Je'sus  was  the 
Mes-si'ah? 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  John  was  ill  now  and  not  able 


RAISING  THE  WIDOW'S  SON 


Hofmann 


Je'sus  at  Na'in  87 

to  reason  clearly.  So  John's  message  to  Je'sus  was:  'Are  you 
the  Mes-si'ah,  or  must  we  wait  till  another  comes  who  is  the 
Sa'vior?" 

"Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "doubtless  wanted  to  go  to  John 
at  once,  but  felt  He  had  God's  work  to  do.  He  must  save  all 
men,  not  one,  so  instead  of  going  to  him.  He  sent  him  friendly 
news  of  what  He  was  doing.  Among  other  things.  He  told  John 
the  Bap'tist  to  keep  a  stout  heart,  that  no  one  ever  born  was 
greater  than  he,  not  even  a  prophet. 

"John's  message  to  Je'sus  was  the  last  words  to  our  knowl- 
edge, that  he  uttered.  We  shall  see  after  a  while  what  became 
of  him." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XVIII 

How  early  did  Jesus  have  to  start  to  travel? 

How  far  was  it  to  Nain,  and  how  did  Jesus  travel  to  get  there.'' 

What  did  Jesus  meet  on  entering  the  city? 

What  strange  thing  happened? 

What  things  about  this  time  made  Jesus  unhappy? 

Tell  about  Herod's  wicked  treatment  of  John  the  Baptist. 

Why  did  John  begin  to  lose  faith  in  God? 

What  question  did  John  send  to  Jesus? 

What  was  the  answer  Jesus  sent  back  to  him? 

Tell  how  Simon  neglected  Jesus. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

je'sus  slighted  at  a  feast 
Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  March 

"My  blessed  children,"  began  Uncle  John,  "this  is  a  cold 
raw  day  outside  and  I  wish  we  had  a  real  joyful  lesson  before 
us,  but  we  have  planned  to  tell  the  story  of  Je'sus  as  the  events 
occur;  so  to-day  we  are  to  talk  about  a  man  who  invited  Je'sus 
to  a  feast,  yet  did  not  treat  Him  kindly.  I  do  not  know  exactly 
where  the  feast  was  held,  but  the  man  giving  the  feast  was 
Si'mon,  a  person  of  wealth  and  influence. 

"The  first  discourtesy  shown  Je'sus  was  the  neglect  on  the 
host's  part  to  provide  water  for  the  washing  of  Je'sus'  feet.  In 
those  days  a  visitor  to  the  house  of  any  Jew  was  provided  with 
water,  at  the  entrance,  in  which  to  bathe  the  face,  hands  and 
feet.  Perfume  was  also  furnished  for  the  hair,  face  and  hands. 
The  host  usually  met  the  men  guests  and  kissed  them  on  the 
cheek.  But  Je'sus  was  not  met  in  this  way,  the  kiss  of  welcome 
was  not  extended,  nor  were  the  other  pleasant  things  offered 
as  a  token  of  respect." 

"Why  did  he  invite  Je'sus,  Uncle?"  said  Paul. 

"It  is  hard  to  tell,"  said  Uncle  John,  "why  Je'sus  was  in- 
vited when  He  was  treated  so  indifferently;  evidently  Si'mon 
had  some  reason  which  the  Bible  does  not  explain. 

"Now  you  will  see  how  Je'sus  acted  under  such  treatment. 
In  the  room  where  the  feast  was  held,  we  find  the  guests,  as  was 
the  custom  of  those  days,  reclining  on  couches.  We  find,  also, 
many  people  standing.  These  are  outsider?,  who  have  come  to 
listen  to  the  conversation.  O-ri-en'tal  houses  were  open  to  any 
uninvited  guest  who  wished  to  come. 

"Among  those  who  stood  was  a  sinful  woman,  who,  upon 
hearing  Je'sus'  talk,  could  not  restrain  herself.     Tears  rolled 


Je'sus  Slighted 


89 


JESUS  AT  THE  HOME  OF  SIMON. 


down  her  cheeks  and  fell  on  Je'sus'  feet.  In  her  remorse  she 
knelt  and  wiped  the  tears  with  the  hair  of  her  head  and  then 
broke  an  alabaster  box  containing  expensive  ointment  and 
poured  it  upon  His  feet.  Je'sus  seemed  to  take  no  more  notice 
of  this  courtesy  than  he  did  of  Si'mon's  neglect,  yet,  after  all, 
nothing  escaped  His  observation. 

"Now  Je'sus,"  continued  Uncle  John,  "had  an  unusual 
characteristic,  the  ability  to  read  people's  thoughts." 

"Oh  yes,"  said  Paul,  "I  remember  how  this  trait  of  His  sur- 
prised the  apostle,  Na-than'a-el,  when  he  first  met  Je'sus." 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and  the  same  is  true  now,  for, 
while  Si'mon  was  saying  to  himself:     'This  man  Je'sus  is  no 


90  Je'siis  Slighted 

prophet,  else  He  would  understand  that  this  woman  is  wicked 
and  have  nothing  to  do  with  her,'  Je'sus  spoke  as  if  answering 
his  thoughts  and  said:  'A  certain  man  had  two  debtors;  one 
owed  him  five  hundred  pense,  and  the  other  fifty,  and  when 
they  had  nothing  to  pay  it  with  he  forgave  them  both.  Who 
do  you  think,  Si'mon,  loved  him  most?'  Si'mon  answered:  'I 
suppose  he  that  owed  the  most.' 

"Je'sus  now  pointed  to  the  weeping  woman,  and  said:  'Sim- 
mon, seest  thou  this  woman?  I  came  to  your  house,  and  you 
gave  Me  no  water  for  My  feet.  She  has  washed  My  feet  with 
her  tears  and  wiped  them  with  the  hair  of  her  head.  Thou 
gavest  Me  no  kiss,  but  since  I  came  into  this  room  she  has  not 
ceased  to  kiss  My  feet.  You  did  not  anoint  My  head  with  oil 
but  this  woman  has  anointed  My  feet.  Therefore,  I  say  unto 
you  that  her  sins,  which  are  many,  are  forgiven,  for  she  loveth 
much.'  Turning  then  to  the  woman,  Je'sus  said.  'Thy  sins  are 
forgiven.' 

"Now  there  were  some  present,"  said  Uncle  John,  "who 
thought  Je'sus  had  no  right  to  forgive  sin,  and  they  said,  one 
to  the  other:  'Who  is  this,  that  forgiveth  sins?'  Je'sus  replied 
not,  but  again  turned  to  the  woman,  this  time  saying,  'Thy  faith 
hath  saved  thee.' 

"I  think  Je'sus  did  right,  don't  you.  Uncle  John?"  said 
Pau-line'. 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  was  ever  superior  to  the 
slights  of  men,  but  always  mindful  of  any  person,  good  or  bad, 
rich  or  poor.  He  always  extended  help  when  He  saw  they  were 
fully  ready.  This  sinful  woman  was  touched  by  Je'sus'  life. 
Si'mon  and  the  invited  guests  were  not,  or  if  they  were,  they  did 
not  show  it. 

"Soon  after  Je'sus'  remarks  to  the  woman,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "that  her  faith  had  saved  her,  the  host  arose,  signifying 


Je'sus  Slighted 


91 


that  the  feast  was  ended,  and  the  peoj^le  went  the  various  ways 
to  their  homes. 

"No   one,   however,    from   that   day   to   this,   has    forgotten 
Je'sus'  words  to  the  sinner:    'Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee.' " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XIX 

Where  did  Jesus  go  to  a  feast? 

Tell  about  the  room  and  the  people  where  the  feast  was  held. 

What  did  the  sinful  woman  do.'' 

What  did  Simon  think  of  Jesus  when  he  saw  the  woman's  actions? 

What  did  Jesus  say? 

How  did  Simon  answer? 

Pointing  to  the  weeping  woman  what  did  Jesus  then  say? 

What  did  some  of  the  people  say  Jesus  had  no  right  to  do? 

How  was  the  feast  ended? 


TOMB   OF   HIRAM,  KING   OF  TYEE. 


CHAPTER  XX 

A   SERMON    IN    PARABLES   AND   A  DAY   OF   WONDER 

Afternoon  Lesson 

When  all  met  again  for  the  afternoon  lesson,  Uncle  John 
said:  "I  wonder  if  my  little  folks,  in  reading  the  New  Tes'ta- 
ment,  have  not  at  some  time  came  across  the  word  'Par'a-hle' 
and  wondered  what  it  meant. 

"Je'sus  was  a  wonderful  preacher  and  often  preached  in 
Par'a-bles.  It  is  perhaps  His  preaching  in  Par'a-bles,  more 
than  anjrthing  else,  that  has  distinguished  His  semions  from 
all  others  that  have  ever  since  been  preached. 

"Je'sus  had  a  peculiar  gift  in  tliis  direction,  the  gift  of 
describing  a  picture  as  if  it  were  a  real  being. 

"On  this  occasion,  when  Je'sus  preached  His  first  sermon  in 
par'a-ble  form.  He  stood  in  a  boat  near  the  banks  of  the  Sea  of 
GaFi-lee,  not  far  from  Ca-per'na-um.  The  multitude  listened 
to  Him  from  the  shore. 

"Je^sus  began  the  sermon  by  using  His  favorite  word  to 
attract  attention,  the  word  'Behold.'  He  said:  'Behold  a  sower 
went  forth  to  sow.' 

"I  fancy,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Je'sus  on  this  occasion 
did  much  like  publishers  do  when  they  illustrate  a  book  with 
photographs,  only  Je'sus  took  living  subjects  to  illustrate  His 
sermons. 

"After  He  had  called  the  attention  of  His  audience  to  a 
farmer  sowing  wheat,  He  went  on  to  say,  'And,  as  he  sowed 
the  seed,  some  fell  by  the  wayside  and  the  birds  devoured  it; 
some  fell  among  thorns  and  the  thorns  choked  it;  some  fell  on 
stony  ground  and,  because  it  did  not  have  much  earth,  it  soon 
sprang  up  and  when  the  sun  came  out  it  withered  away;  others 
fell  on  good  ground  and  brought  forth  thirty,  sixty  and  one 
hundred  fold.' 

92 


A  Day  of  Wonders 


93 


SEA  OF  GALILEE  NEAR  CAPERNAUM. 


"Now  the  A-pos'tles  knew  that  Je'sus  had  often  spoke  in 
Par'a-bles,  but  they  never  heard  Him  preach  in  Par'a-bles,  so 
they  asked  Him  why  He  spoke  in  Par'a-bles  to  these  strangers. 

"Je'sus  replied  that  the  hearts  of  the  people  were  not  right, 
that  they  had  dulled  their  hearing  and  closed  their  eyes  on  pur- 
pose, lest  they  should  understand  and  be  converted. 

"You  see,  Paul,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  did  not  hesitate 
to  tell  the  truth.  He  thought  it  was  a  good  plan  to  preach 
truths  that  would  make  people  think. 

"When  the  crowd  had  disappeared,  Je'sus  explained  more 
fully  the  sermon  to  His  A-pos'tles.  He  said  that  the  field  rep- 
resented the  world;  the  different  kinds  of  soil,  the  different 
kinds  of  people.  Soil  that  covered  stones  was  like  those  people 
who  accept  God's  word  with  joy,  but  who,  when  prosperity  or 
trouble  come,  fall  away  because  they  have  little  love.  Thorny 
soil.  He  said,  represented  those  peojDle  who  let  worries  come  into 
their  life  in  such  a  way  as  to  choke  God's  Spirit  so  that  it  could 
not  grow.  The  soil  along  the  pathway,  He  said,  is  like  hard- 
hearted people  who  reject  God's  Word.  'But,'  continued 
Je'sus,  'all  are  not  like  stones,  thorns  and  the  pathway;  there 


94 


A  Day  of  Wonders 


are  many  good  people.    They  represent  the  fields  bringing  forth 
thirty,  sixty  and  a  hundred  fold.' 

"This  sermon  of  Je'sus',"  said  Uncle  John,  "had  just  the 
effect  that  Je'sus  expected  it  would;  it  set  all  the  people  to 
thinking.  More  than  ever  they  wondered  how  He  knew  so  much, 
having  never  attended  school. 

"Shortly  after  the  sermon  two  men,  who  had  been  listening, 
came  to  Je'sus  expressing  a 
wish  to  be  numbered  among 
His  A-jws'tles.  One  of 
these  was  a  scribe  who 
wrote  for  the  Court. 

"Je'sus  was  always  glad 
when  men  wanted  to  work 
for  God,  yet.  He  never 
wanted  them  to  enter  upon 
a  serious  work  without 
thinking  seriously  about  it, 
so  He  said  to  the  scribe: 
'The  foxes  have  holes  and 
the  birds  have  nests,  but  the 
Son  of  Man  hath  not  where 
to  lay  His  head.' 

"Je'sus'  peculiar  answer, 
doubtless,  made  them  think 
that  the  apostles  had  hard 
work  to  do,  and  often  no 
place  to  stay,  for  the  scribe 
turned  away. 

"The  other  man  said: 
'Let  me  go  first  and  bid  my 
people  good-bye.'  Je'sus 
said  to  him :    'If  you  are  really  in  earnest  about  wanting  to  be  my 


THE   EVIL   ONE   SOWING    TAKES. 


A  Day  of  Wonder's 


95 


JESUS  STILLS  THE  WAVES. 


a-pos'tle  you  will  go  now  and  let  God  take  care  of  your  family.' 
Tliis  man  also  went  away  and  did  not  come  back." 

"It  sounds  a  little  as  if  Je'sus  was  cross  with  these  men,  was 
He  Uncle?"  said  Paul. 

"No,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  had  no  intention  of  being 
severe,  but  it  was  His  way  of  being  certain  that  men  were  fully 
prepared  for  His  work — to  see  if  they  were  dead  in  earnest 
about  being  willing  to  leave  all  and  follow  Him. 

"The  apostles  now,  at  Je'sus'  request,  pushed  the  boat  away 
from  the  crowd  and  out  into  the  sea.  A  few  people,  with  small 
boats,  started  to  follow,  but  a  threatening  storm  drove  them 
back.  Je'sus,  worn  out  with  the  day's  events,  soon  was  fast 
asleep.  The  storm  which  had  threatened  was  now  upon  them 
in  awful  fury.  The  boat  at  times  was  buried  in  the  foam.  The 
apostles,  although  born  on  the  water  and  seldom  afraid  of  a 
storm,  were  now  greatly  distressed  and  awakened  Je'sus  saying: 
'Lord,  save  us  or  we  perish.'  " 


96  A  Day  of  Wonders 

"What  did  Je'sus  do?"  said  Pau-line'. 

"Je'sus  said  unto  them,  'Why  are  ye  so  fearful,  oh  ye  of 
little  faith?'  He  then  arose  and  in  a  moment  stilled  the  winds 
and  the  waves. 

"Again  the  a-pos'tles  were  amazed  and  said:  'What  manner 
of  man  is  this,  that  even  the  winds  and  waves  obey  Him?' 

"Je'sus  did  not  go  back  and  rest,  but,  with  the  apostles, 
went  to  land.  They  had  scarcely  landed  when  a  crazy  man  who 
had  made  his  home  among  the  tombs  and  in  the  mountains  came 
unto  them  in  a  wild  sort  of  way  as  if  to  do  them  harm. 

"Now  when  he  saw  Je'sus,  he  seemed  to  realize  that  He  was 
no  common  man,  for  he  begged  Him  to  go  away. 

"But  Je'sus  would  not;  He  said  to  him  as  he  had  to  many 
others,  that  he  came  into  the  world  to  save  men  from  suffering, 
and  then  commanded  the  evil  spirits  to  come  out  of  the  man." 

"Did  they  come  out?"  asked  Pau-line\ 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Not  far  away  was  a  herd  of 
swine  feeding  in  a  pasture.  Je'sus,  to  show  His  a-pos'tles  that 
spirits  wrecked  life,  whether  in  man  or  beast,  permitted  the  evil 
spirits  that  came  out  of  the  man  to  enter  the  swine.  The  man 
became  quiet  but  suddenly  the  swine  became  so  wild  that  they 
dashed  headlong  over  a  precipice  into  the  sea. 

"The  keepers  of  the  swine  ran  and  told  the  owners,  who 
came  at  once  to  see  what  had  taken  place.  Great  was  their  sur- 
prise to  find  the  swine  gone,  and  the  De-mo'ni-ac  in  his  right 
mind." 

"What  became  of  the  man?"  asked  Paul. 

"The  man,"  said  Uncle  John,  'Vanted  to  follow  Je'sus, 
but  Je'sus  sent  him  to  his  family,  asking  only  that  his  life  might 
be  a  living  testimony  of  God's  power  to  overcome  evil." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XX 

How  did  Jesus  preach.'' 


A  Day  of  Wonders  97 

Tell  where  Jesus  and  the  people  stood  when  he  preached  his  first  par- 
able sermon. 

What  were  the  first  words  of  his  sermon  ? 

What  became  of  the  seed  that  fell  by  the  wayside? 

What  of  that  that  fell  among  thorns? 

What  of  that  in  the  stony  ground? 

What  did  the  apostles  ask  Jesus? 

What  of  that  on  the  good  ground? 

What  did  Jesus  answer? 

To  whom  did  Jesus  explain  his  sermon? 

What  did  he  say  the  field  meant? 

What  did  the  soil  represent? 

Tell  of  the  different  people  represented  by  the  stony  ground,  thorny 
ground  and  the  good  ground. 

What  effect  did  Jesus'  sermon  have  on  the  people? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  the  scribe  who  wanted  to  follow  him? 

What  did  the  scribe  do  ? 

What  did  the  other  man  say  he  must  do? 

Why  did  Jesus  refuse  to  let  the  man  go  and  see  his  people? 

What  happened  when  the  apostles  pushed  the  boat  out  in  the  sea  ? 

What  did  Jesus  do  when  the  apostles  were  afraid? 

Tell  about  the  man  who  came  to  them  when  they  landed. 

What  did  Jesus  do  when  the  crazy  man  begged  him  to  go  away? 

What  did  Jesus  do  to  show  the  work  of  the  evil  spirits  ? 

What  did  the  keepers  of  the  swine  do? 

What  became  of  the  healed  man  ? 


CHAPTER  XXI 

je'sus  rebuked  for  mingling  with  pub'li-cans  and  sin'ners 
Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  March 

"Well  children,  this  is  an  ideal  March  day,  just  the  kind  for 
a  beautiful  talk,"  said  Uncle  John  as  they  again  gathered  on 
Sunday  morning.  "Our  lesson  to-day  is  about  a  special  visit 
Je'sus  made  to  Ca-per'na-um. 

"He  had  been  away  for  some  time  and  a  great  multitude 
were  now  watching  for  His  return.  In  those  days  there  were 
no  telegrams  nor  any  other  way  to  make  known  the  arrival  of  a 
guest,  but  the  people  took  such  interest  in  Je'sus  that  they 
watched  for  His  boat  and  when  they  saw  it  coming  a  crowd  soon 
gathered  to  meet  Him. 

"On  this  occasion  the  people  followed  him  to  the  place  where 
He  was  to  lodge,  probably  Pe'ter's  house.  All  who  followed 
could  not  get  in  the  house.  Among  those  outside  was  a  man 
sick  with  paralysis  who  had  been  confined  to  his  bed  for  several 
j^ears. 

"Now  this  sick  man  was  determined  to  see  Je'sus,  so  he 
asked  his  friends  if  it  were  not  possible  for  them  to  carry  him, 
by  an  outside  stair,  to  the  roof  and  let  him  down  in  Je'sus'  pres- 
ence. 

"The  houses  in  Gal'i-lee,  as  they  are  in  many  oriental  coun- 
tries to-day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "were  flat  on  top  and  the  roofs 
used  as  porches. 

"The  friends  did  as  the  sick  man  suggested;  they  removed 
the  tile  from  the  roof  and  let  him  down  in  Je'sus'  presence.  It 
was  all  so  strange  and  sudden  that  everybody  was  surprised,  and 
I  suppose  for  a  time  the  sick  man  was  embarrassed.  But  Je'sus 
was  pleased  to  see  such  faith  manifested,  and  He  stopped  short 
in  his  sermon  and  said,  'Son,  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  are  for- 

98 


Je'sus  and  the  Pub'li-cans 


99 


given  thee.'  Now  there  were  some  present  who  thought,  as  on 
a  former  occasion,  that  Je'sus  had  no  right  to  forgive  sins.  They 
did  not  say  it,  yet  Je'sus  read  their  thoughts  and  so  said  aloud: 
'If  I  have  the  power  to  cause  a  lame  man  to  walk,  I  also  have 
power  to  forgive  sins ;  but 
that  you  may  know  that  I 
have  this  power,  I  say  to 
this  sick  man.  Arise,  take 
up  thy  bed  and  walk.' 

"Those  present  now 
witnessed  a  remarkable 
sight.  The  man  with 
paralysis  not  only  arose, 
but  took  up  the  bed  he 
was  lying  on,  and  went 
out  of  the  door.  When 
the  meeting  closed  the 
people  said  again  and 
again:  'We  have  never 
seen  anything  like  this 
before.'  '' 

"Perhaps  there  were 
others  who  needed  help 
but  could  not  get  in 
Uncle,"  said  Pau-line'. 
"What  about  them?" 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "to  cheer  those  who  were  unable 
to  gain  admission  to  Pe'ter's  house,  Je'sus  went  to  the  banks  of 
the  Sea  of  Gal'i-lee,  and  from  His  boat  talked  to  all  the  people. 
You  may  be  sure,  Pau-line',  that  Je'sus  was  ever  mindful  of  all 
people. 

"After  the  sermon  in  the  boat  He  went  to  a  feast  at  the 
house  of  INIat'thew,  the  A-pos'tle.     Mat'thew,  you  will  remem- 


"TAKE  UP  THY  BED  AND  WALK. 


100  Je^sus  and  the  Pub'li-cans 

ber,  had  formerly  been  a  tax  gatherer  and  a  wealthy  man.  He 
had  recently  been  with  Je'sus  on  some  of  His  journeys  and  had 
now  returned  home  to  give  a  farewell  feast  to  his  old  friends, 
preparatory  to  a  final  departure  as  Je'sus'  apostle.  So  Je'sus 
with  others  were  invited  to  the   feast." 

"Je'sus  never  seemed  to  refuse  these  feasts,  Uncle  John. 
Did  he  enjoy  them?"  said  Paul. 

"Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "often  mingled  with  worldly 
people,  yet  only  for  the  purpose  of  helping  them.  Because 
He  attended  this  feast,  however,  there  were  some  who  said  of 
Him:     'He  hath  gone  to  be  a  guest  of  publi-cans  and  sinners.' 

"As  is  usually  the  case,"  said  Uncle  John,  "those  who  made 
these  remarks  were  fault  finders,  and  did  not  have  the  courage 
to  come  to  Je'sus  and  ask  Him  about  it.  They  did,  though, 
ask  his  a-pos'tles,  in  a  scornful  sort  of  way,  why  their  Master 
ate  with  pub'li-cans  and  sinners. 

"The  a-pos'tles  did  not  answer,  but  Je'sus  who  was  ever 
ready  to  give  a  reason  for  any  act  He  did,  said  He  came  into 
the  world  to  help  sinners,  not  those  who  were  already  perfect. 
Thus  it  was,  from  day  to  day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  went 
about  doing  good,  sometimes  among  the  poor,  sometimes  among 
the  rich,  but  always  with  the  thought  of  bettering  the  world  and 
making  people  happier." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXI 

What  is  the  lesson  about  to-day? 

Why  could  not  the  sick  man  go  into  the  house? 

How  did  his  friends  get  him  into  the  house? 

What  did  Jesus  do  when  he  saw  the  sick  man  ? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  those  who  objected  to  his  forgiving  elns? 

What  remarkable  thing  happened? 

Tell  about  the  feast  that  Jesus  attended. 

What  did  the  fault-finders  ask  the  apostles  ? 

Who  answered  them,  and  what  did  he  say? 


CHAPTER  XXII 

HEALED    BY    FAITH 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"This  afternoon,"  said  Uncle  John,  "we  are  going  to  have 
a  lesson  on  faith.  You  often  hear  grown-up  people  talk  about 
faith  and  you  do  not  understand  it.  Now,  this  lesson  will  show 
what  faith  means.  It  is  simply  believing  that  Je'sus  can  do 
anything  you  ask  him  to  do,  if  it  is  right  and  according  to  the 
laws  and  will  of  God. 

"At  this  feast,  given  by  Mat'thew,  to  which  Je'sus  was  in- 
vited, a  distressed  father  ran  into  Mat'thew's  house  and  asked 
Je'sus  to  go  home  with  him,  saying  his  little  girl  was  very  ill 
and  he  feared  she  was  dying. 

"This  man's  name  was  Ja'i-rus,  a  citizen  of  Ca-per'na-um. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  influence  and  good  character.  His 
w^ords  were  broken  with  grief,  yet  he  made  Je'sus  understand 
that  he  felt  His  presence  would  save  his  daughter's  life. 

"Je'sus  excused  himself  from  the  table  and  went  with 
Ja'i-rus.  They  made  slow  progress  to  the  home,  for  the  mul- 
titude blocked  the  road.  Je'sus,  while  on  the  way,  feeling  that 
strength  had  gone  out  of  Him,  said:  'Who  touched  me?' 
The  a-pos'tles  thought  that  a  strange  question  and  they  said 
to  Je'sus:  'How  can  we  tell  when  anybody  is  pressing  against 
us?'  'That  is  true,'  said  Je'sus,  'but  some  one  has  surely  touched 
me,  for  I  felt  my  power  to  heal  go  out.' 

"Now  the  person,"  said  Uncle  John,  "who  touched  Him, 
was  a  w^oman.  She  had  been  ill  twelve  years  and  unable  to  work. 
She  had  tried  many  remedies  but  they  had  only  increased  her 
trouble.  She  had  employed  many  physicians  but  their  skill 
had  been  of  no  avail.  She  had  spent  all  her  money  and  now  in 
a  last,  despairing  effort  she  pressed  forward  to  touch  Je'sus, 

101 


Healed  By  Faith  103 

saying:  'If  I  can  only  touch  the  hem  of  His  garment,  I  shall 
be  made  whole.' 

"When  she  saw  that  Je'sus  had  discovered  her  she  threw  her- 
self at  His  feet.  Je'sus,  upon  seeing  her,  said,  'Daughter,  go 
in  peace,  thy  faith  hath  saved  thee.' 

"That  was  good  in  Je'sus,  but  how  about  Ja'i-inis'  daugh- 
ter, didn't  she  grow  worse  during  all  this  delay?"  said  Pau-line'. 

"Well,"  said  Uncle  John,  "at  this  point  a  messenger  came 
to  Jal-rus  from  his  home  saying:  'Thy  daughter  is  dead, 
worry  the  Master  no  more.'  Je'sus  turned  tenderly  to  the 
father,  saying:     'Fear  not,  only  believe.' 

"When  they  came  to  the  house,  Je'sus  turned  to  the  crowd 
following  and  asked  them  to  go  no  further.  Then  taking  three 
of  His  a-pos'tles,  Pe'ter,  James  and  John,  He  entered  the  house 
with  Ja'i-rus. 

"Je'sus  stilled  the  cries  of  the  mourners  by  saying:  *The 
little  maid  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth.'  When  all  was  calm  Je'sus, 
with  the  father,  mother  and  three  a-pos'tles,  entered  the  room 
where  the  young  girl  lay.  He  then  took  her  cold  hand  in  His 
and  said.  'Little  maid,  arise.'  " 

"And  did  she?"  said  Pau-line',  who  had  great  sympathy  for 
all  girls. 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  girl  arose  and  immediately 
walked.  The  miracle  was  so  great  that  a  fear  fell  upon  the 
father  and  mother,  but  Je'sus  caused  them  to  forget  their  fear 
by  saying:    'Give  the  child  something  to  eat.'  " 

"Do  not  grown  up  people  sometimes  call  Je'sus  the  man  of 
sorrows.  Uncle  John?"  said  Paul.  "Why  I  think  he  must  have 
been  the  happiest  man  that  ever  lived  at  times.  He  made  so 
many  people  happy." 

*'Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  always  relieved  suifering 
when  he  could,  wherever  the  people  would  open  the  door  and 
let  him  in,  but  you  must  remember,  Paul,  that  the  world  then 


104  Healed  By  Faith 

and  is  to-day  full  of  people  who  did  not  want  Him.  They  pre- 
ferred to  live  their  own  selfish  lives. 

"We  have  one  more  example  of  this  power  to  heal  when 
the  people  had  faith.  After  curing  Ja^i-rus'  daughter  Je'sus 
left  and  went  His  way.  He  had  not  gone  far  when  two  blind 
men  came  to  Him  saying:     'Son  of  DaVid  have  mercy  on  us.' 

"Je'sus  for  reason  of  His  own,  permitted  them  to  follow 
Him  till  He  came  to  Pe'ter's  house.  Then  He  asked  them  if 
they  believed.  They  said  they  did;  whereupon  He  touched 
their  eyes,  saying:  'According  to  your  faith  be  it  unto  you,' 
and  their  eyes  opened." 

"Wonderful!  wonderful!"   said  both  the  children. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXII 

What  is  this  lesson  about? 

At  the  feast,  what  man  in  distress  came  to  Jesus? 

What  did  he  ask  Jesus  to  do? 

What  happened  to  Jesus  as  they  were  going  along  the  wajj-? 

How  long  had  the  woman  been  sick,  and  who  had  tried  to  cure  her? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  her? 

What  message  did  they  bring  to  Jairus  ? 

What  did  Jesus  do? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  the  father  and  mother  to  do? 

Tell  about  Jesus  healing  the  blind  man. 


CHAPTER  XXllI 

je'sus  at  the  pool  or  be-thes'-da 
Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  March 

"Dear  children,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  they  came  together 
for  the  twenty-third  lesson.  "I  want  you  to  realize  that  Je'sus 
was  always  plaiuiing  something  helpful  for  all  people  where- 
ever  He  went. 

"When  He  was  going  from  city  to  city.  He  often  saw 
things  that  made  Him  feel  that  only  a  few  individuals  really 
cared  about  the  general  welfare  of  all.  He  found  so  many 
people  who  seemed,  like  tired  sheep  panting  on  the  hillsides, 
whom  shepherds  had  left  unprotected,  that  He  determined  to 
overcome  this  indifference  by  dividing  the  apostles  into  six 
groups,  of  two  each,  and  sending  them  out  to  awaken  the  peo- 
ple to  the  needs  of  their  fellow  men. 

"Je'sus  told  the  apostles  of  the  perils  and  trials  which  await- 
ed them,  and  advised  them  not  to  go  from  house  to  house  to  find 
a  place  to  stay,  but  to  remain  at  the  first  house  they  entered  un- 
til they  left  the  town.  They  were  to  say  when  they  entered: 
'Peace  be  to  this  house,'  and  their  peace  was  to  rest  upon  it. 
He  told  them,  however,  that  if  the  people  would  not  receive 
them  to  pass  on  to  another  house. 

"So  with  these  admonitions,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  apos- 
tles went  out — two  by  two — ^to  begin  God's  ministry.  Je'sus 
was  now  alone,  yet  He  did  not  remain  idle.  He  was  busier, 
if  this  were  possible,  than  ever. 

"Shortly  after  the  departure  of  the  apostles  He  left  Ca- 
per'na-um  and  went  to  Je-ru'sa-lem.  Among  other  things  He 
visited  a  famous  pool,  known  as  the  Pool  of  Be-thes'da,  and 
here  performed  a  wonderful  work. 

"At  certain  times  the  waters  of  this  pool  bubbled  up.  The 
people  had  learned  that  at  such  times  it  contained   stronger 

105 


106  At  the  Pool  of  Be-tJies'da 

healing  properties  than  at  other  times,  due,  no  doubt,  to  the 
rains  bringing  minerals  from  the  different  soils  through  which 
the  water  passed  on  its  way  to  the  pool. 

"Now,  the  people,"  said  Uncle  John,  "thought  the  change 
wrought  in  this  pool  was  due  to  super-natural  causes,  that  is, 
for  instance,  that  an  angel  had  come  down  from  heaven  and 
stirred  the  waters,  putting  into  it  some  unseen  power  which, 
from  experience,  they  knew  would  heal." 

Paul,  at  this  point,  interrupted  by  saying,  "Uncle  John,  we 
know  of  a  spring  just  like  that  and  we  will  take  you  there  if 
you  would  like  to  go."  "I  will  be  glad  to  go,  my  dears,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "we  can,  probably,  from  that,  get  a  good  idea  of 
the  Pool  of  Be-thes'da. 

"Well,  when  Je'sus  came  to  the  Pool  He  found  many  sick 
people  there.  After  looking  on  for  a  few  moments  He  picked 
out  the  most  discouraged  man  of  the  lot  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  like  to  be  cured. 

"In  place  of  saying  that  he  would,  the  stranger  began  to  tell 
Je'sus  the  story  of  his  life.  He  said  he  had  been  paralyzed  for 
thirty-eight  years  and  had  often  come  here  to  be  cured,  but, 
when  the  Pool  was  best  he  could  not  get  to  it  because  of  his 
feebleness  and  the  great  crowd,  and  thus  year  after  year  had 
passed,  till  hope  was  gone. 

"When  the  sick  man's  story  was  finished,  Je'sus,  looking  on 
in  compassion,  said  to  him  gently,  'Arise,  take  up  thy  bed  and 
walk.' 

"The  man  immediately  did  as  Je'sus  requested. 

"Now  this  healing  occurred  on  the  Sab'bath  daj%  and  some 
fault-finding  men  who  saw  the  miracle  performed  said  to  the 
man  who  was  cured  and  carrying  his  bed,  'You  have  no  right  to 
bear  burdens  on  the  Sab'bath  day;  it  is  not  lawful.' 

"These  men,"  said  Uncle  John,  "evidently  did  not  under- 
stand God's  commandment,  'Remember  the  Sab'bath  day  and 


At  the  Pool  of  Be-thes'da  107 

keep  it  holy.'  They  doubtless  thought  they  understood  it,  but 
they  were  like  many  men  to-day  who  think  they  understand  it 
when  in  reality  they  do  not.  Holiness  does  not  mean  that  we 
are  to  do  no  good.  Je'sus  this  day,  by  this  act,  made  it  so  plain 
that  no  one,  from  time  henceforth,  need  misunderstand  it." 

"What  did  the  cured  man  say.  Uncle,"  said  Paul. 

"The  stranger,"  said  Uncle  John,  "who  was  healed  ex- 
cused himself  by  saying  that  the  person  who  cured  him  told 
him  to  carrj'-  off  his  couch.  Je'sus,  meeting  this  man  in  the  tem- 
ple a  little  later,  said  to  him:  'Sin  no  more,  lest  something  worse 
come  upon  thee.' 

"The  stranger  now  knew  who  it  was  that  had  healed  him 
and,  being  vexed  that  Je'sus  had  reprimanded  him,  went  to  the 
rulers  of  the  city  and  told  them  it  was  Je'sus  who  had  cured  him 
on  the  Sab'bath  day. 

"When  the  rulers  learned  that  it  was  Je'sus,  they  began  at 
once  to  persecute  Him.  Je'sus,  preferring  always  to  avoid  dis- 
cord and  inharmony,  returned  to  Ca-per'na-um  where  He  was 
to  meet  His  a-pos'tles." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXIII 

What  was  Jesus  always  planning? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  his  apostles  to  do  when  he  entered  a  house? 
Suppose  they  would  not  let  the  apostles  stay,  what  then? 
Where  did  Jesus  go  after  the  apostles  left,  and  what  did  he  do  ? 
Tell  us  about  the  Pool  of  Bethsaida. 

Tell  us  about  the  first  meeting  of  the  man  he  cured  there  and  what 
was  the  matter  with  him. 
How  did  Jesus  cure  him? 

On  what  day  of  the  week  did  this  occur  and  what  was  said  about  it? 
Why  did  Jesus  leave  there,  and  where  did  he  go? 


CHRIST  CALLING  JAMES  AND  JOHN 


CHAPTER   XXIV 


DEATH   OF   JOHN    THE    BAPTIST 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Well,  my  dear  children,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  they  assem- 
bled in  the  afternoon,  "are  you  in  a  pretty  cheerful  mood?  I 
ask  because  we  have  a  sad  lesson  this  afternoon.  We  are  to  talk 
about  the  death  of  John  the  Bap'tist. 

"You  will  remember  that  John  had  been  imprisoned  by 
Her'od  An'ti-pas  for  no  especial  reason  except  that  he  had  crit- 
icised Her'od  for  the  life  he  was  living.  This  criticism  angered 
Her'od  and  more  especially  his  wife  He-ro'di-as,  so  John,  as  a 
result,  was  cast  into  prison. 

"Now  this  prison  was  in  a  portion  of  the  king's  palace  and 
Her'od,  for  some  reason,  often  w^ent  and  talked  with  John.  The 
conversation  each  time  influenced  Her'od  for  the  better,  but  he 
was  a  weak  man  and  too  often  listened  to  He-ro'di-as,  the  wife, 
who  was  a  heartless  and  unprincipled  woman. 

108 


Death  of  John  the  Bap'tist  109 

"He-ro'di-as  made  up  her  niind  to  get  John  out  of  the  way 
of  Her'od's  influence,  and,  knowing  the  weakness  of  the  king, 
watched  her  opportunity  to  carry  out  a  wicked  plan. 

"Now,  in  her  mind,  an  unusually  good  occasion  presented  it- 
self on  Her'od's  birthday.  She  made  a  feast  for  him.  The  pal- 
ace contained  a  large  theatre.  After  the  feast,  wherein  there 
had  been  much  eating  and  drinking,  the  guests  wer  einvited  to 
the  theatre  to  witness  some  plays  and  dances. 

"It  was  customary  on  all  state  occasions  like  this  to  provide 
public  dancers  and  singers  to  entertain  the  company.  He-ro'- 
di-as  had  done  all,  but  as  a  special  feature  of  this  birthday  mer- 
riment, and  also  to  entrap  the  king,  who  was  now  well  nigh 
drunken  with  too  much  wine,  planned  that  her  own  fascinating 
daughter,  Sa-lo^me,  should  come  on  the  stage  and  dance. 

"The  King  was  so  carried  away  by  Sa-lo'me's  charms  that 
he  took  an  oath  that  he  would  grant  her  whatever  she  asked,  even 
to  the  half  of  his  kingdom. 

"Sa-lo'me  immediately  ran  to  her  mother,  reporting  her  suc- 
cess and  asking  what  she  should  do  next. 

"  'Ask  for  the  head  of  John  the  Bap'tist,'  said  her  mother. 
When  the  king  heard  her  request  he  was  grieved,  but  in  his 
drunken  and  hilarious  mood,  saw  no  way  to  evade  his  promise, 
so  issued  orders  to  the  soldiers  to  bring  immediately  the  head  of 
John  the  Bap'tist  to  the  princess. 

"Soon  the  soldiers  appeared  with  John's  head  on  a  charger. 

"John's  friends  took  the  body  and  buried  it;  then  went  and 
told  Je'sus  all  that  had  happened." 

"That  was  dreadful,"  said  Pau-line',  "but  tell  us,  Uncle 
John,  what  happened  to  this  wicked  king  and  queen — didn't 
God  punish  them?" 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "He  did,  and  most  severely.  It 
came  about  this  way:  He-ro'di-as,  ever  desiring  her  husband  to 
grow  in  power  and  influence,  urged  him  to  take  a  step  which 
finally  brought  their  ruin. 


110  Death  of  John  the  Bap'tist 

"Her'od  A-grip'pa,  brother  of  He-ro'di-as,  about  this  time 
visited  the  Em'per-or  Ca'ius,  (Ca-hg'u-la)  of  Rome.  The 
Em'per-or  bestowed  upon  Her'od  A-grip'pa  so  many  honors 
that  He-ro^di-as  became  jealous  of  her  brother's  popularity 
and  urged  her  husband  to  go  to  Rome  and  solicit  like  favors  of 
the  Em'per-or. 

"Her'od  did  not  approve  of  the  plan,  but  He-ro'di-as  would 
not  be  content  until  he  did  so,  and  they  finally  sailed  for  Rome. 
Her'od  A-grip'pa,  the  brother,  promised  to  further  Her'od 
An'ti-pas'  interests,  by  sending  his  servant  with  them  to  Rome, 
bearing  letters  of  introduction  and  greetings  to  the  Em'per-or. 

"Among  those  letters  was  one  written  to  defeat  Her'od's 
plans  and  it  had  its  eifect. 

"The  Em'per-or  after  reading  the  letter,  became  suspicious 
of  Her'od  An'ti-pas  and  He-ro'di-as,  and  cast  them  into  prison. 
As  they  could  not  prove  their  innocence,  they  were  banished  to 
Spain,  where  they  both  died  in  obscurity  and  dishonor." 

"Served  them  right,"  said  both  Paul  and  Pau-line'.  "But 
how  long  was  it  after  John  the  Bap'tist's  death?"  asked  Pau- 
line'. "About  four  years,"  replied  Uncle  John,  "and  while  it 
may  seem  like  a  long  time,  yet  their  suffering  was  greater  than 
instant  death,  for  they  had  time  to  think  and  regret,  and  this 
brought  remorse." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXIV 

What  is  this  lesson  about? 

Why  was  John  the  Baptist  cast  into  prison? 

Who  talked  to  John  in  prison? 

Tell  how  Herod's  wife  planned  to  have  John  put  to  death. 

Whom  did  she  send  to  dance  before  the  king? 

What  wicked  thing  did  her  mother  make  her  ask  of  Herod? 

What  became  of  the  body  of  John? 

What  did  John's  friends  do  when  he  was  dead? 

Tell  how  Herod  and  his  wicked  wife  were  punished. 


CHAPTER    XXV 

je'sus  walking  on  the  water 
Morning  Lesson — Fifth  Sunday  in  March 

The  children  were  quite  sad  all  the  week  over  the  death  of 
John  the  Bap'tist,  so,  when  they  sat  down  again  with  Uncle 
John,  they  wanted  to  talk  it  all  over  again,  but  their  mother, 
who  had  come  to  the  class,  said:  "I  think  my  dears,  we  would 
better  go  on  with  the  lesson  Uncle  John  has  selected." 

Paul  agreed  outright,  but  Pau-line'  did  not  give  up  so  eas- 
ily, yet,  after  a  moment,  smiled  a  consent  and  Uncle  John  be- 
gan by  sajdng: 

"Je'sus  thought  it  best  for  the  A-pos'tles  to  have  a  change 
after  their  hard  work  and  the  depressing  news  of  John's  death, 
so  he  invited  them  to  go  with  Him  to  a  quiet  place  for  a  little 
time.  They  went  across  the  Sea  of  Gari-lee  up  into  the  moun- 
tains not  far  from  Ca-per'na-um. 

"But,  before  they  could  get  any  rest,  people  began  to  come 
to  hear  Je'sus  speak  and  He  and  the  A-pos'tles  talked  all  day, 
not  stopping  even  to  eat. 

"Toward  evening  the  people  who  had  had  nothing  to  eat, 
showed  signs  of  hunger  and  great  weariness. 

"The  A-pos'tles  spoke  to  Je'sus  of  this  and  suggested  that 
they  be  sent  away,  but  Je'sus  did  not  approve  of  this  without 
first  giving  them  something  to  eat, 

"One  of  the  A-pos'tles  then  said  that  there  was  a  little  boy 
in  the  crowd  who  had  five  barley  loaves  and  two  small  fishes, 
but,  he  added,  'what  are  they  among  so  many  people  ?  There 
are  here  5,000  men  alone.' 

"Je'sus,  with  that  spirit  of  kindness  which  always  character- 
ized His  life,  began  to  plan  a  way  to  feed  them.  He  told  the 
A-pos'tles  to  have  them  seated  on  the  ground.  The  A-pos'tles 
did  as  Je'sus  suggested,  no  doubt  wondering  what  He  was  go- 
ing on  the  water,  but  they  soon  knew  that  it  was  Je'sus. 

HI 


112 


Je'sus  Walking  on  the  Water 


ing  to  do.  They  knew  He  had  not  money  to  buy  bread,  and 
even  though  He  had  plenty  of  money  it  could  not  be  bought  at 
this  time  of  day. 

"Every  eye  now  turned  toward  Je'sus;  'He  took  the  five 
loaves  and  the  two  fishes  and  breaking  them,  gave  thanks  to 
God,  then  distributed  it  to  the  multitude.  All  were  abundantly 
fed  and  there  were  twelve  baskets  of  fragments  left.' 

"This  miracle  so  aroused 
the  people  that  they  suggested 
making  Je'sus  their  King,  but 
Je'sus  refused,  saying:  'My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.' 
"The  A-pos'tles,  as  well  as 
the  other  people,  urged  this,  so 
the  Sa'vior  sent  the  A-pos'tles 
away  in  the  boat  across  the 
lake  whilst  he  got  the  people 
off  to  their  homes. 

"Je'sus  was  now  left  alone 
on  the  shore.  Soon  a  storm 
arose  and  blew  hard  upon  the 
water.  The  A-pos'tles  could 
not  use  their  sails  and  they 
were  much  afraid.  Whilst 
the  waves  were  rolling  high 
and  they  were  toiling  at  the 
oars  they  saw,  by  the  full 
moon,  some  one  walking  on 
the  water.  It  was  Je'sus.  He 
had  compassion  for  them,  just 
as  He  had  felt  sorry  for  the 
people  whom  He  had  fed. 
"At  first  they  thought  it  was  a  spirit  whom  they  saw  walk- 
ing on  the  water,  but  they  soon  knew  that  it  was  Je'sus. 


CHRIST  AND  PETER. 


Je'sus  Walking  on  the  Water  113 

"Then  Pe'ter  said  to  Je'sus;  'If  thou  art  Jp'sus,  bid  me 
come  to  thee.'  Je'sus  said:   'Come.' 

"Pe'ter  obeyed,  leaping  from  the  ship  to  the  sea.  For  a  time 
he  also  walked  upon  the  water,  soon,  though,  the  waves  which 
were  running  high  and  the  spray  which  was  flying  in  the  wind, 
frightened  him  and  he  lost  his  faith  and  began  to  sink.  He 
then  cried  to  Je'sus  to  save  him,  lest  he  should  drown. 

"Je'sus  came  quickly  and  extended  His  hand.  Together 
they  walked  on  the  waves  until  they  reached  the  vessel  and 
stepped  unharmed  to  the  deck. 

"Je'sus  admonished  Pe'ter  never  to  lose  faith,  for,  said  He, 
when  one  begins  to  doubt  then  trouble  begins. 

"After  this  Je'sus  and  the  A-pos'tles  sailed  to  Ca-per'- 
na-um.  Here  we  will  leave  them  until  afternoon.  I  hope,  Paul 
and  Pau-line',  this  mother  of  yours  will  join  us  often." 

"Indeed  I  will,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Clare,  "and  you  need  not 
be  surprised  if  I  bring  others  with  me.  I  had  no  idea  these  les- 
sons were  so  interesting." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXV 

What  did  Jesus  think  would  be  good  for  his  disciples  and  himself? 
Did  Jesus  get  a  rest.^* 
What  happened  to  the  people? 

When  Jesus  saw  the  people  were  weary  what  did  he  tell  his  apostles 
to  do? 

What  did  one  of  the  apostles  answer? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  the  apostles  to  do? 

How  much  was  left  after  the  five  thousand  were  fed? 

Wh}'^  did  Jesus  let  the  people  make  him  king? 

What  frightful  thing  now  happened  to  the  apostles? 

What  did  they  think  they  saw  on  the  water?  r. 

What  did  Peter  say  and  do? 

What  wonderful  thing  did  Peter  and  Jesus  do? 

Who  promised  to  join  the  children  in  their  next  lesson? 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

je'sus  loses  some  friends 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"Dear  children,"  said  Uncle  John,  "we  are  to  talk  this  af- 
ternoon about  how  Je^sus  lost  some  friends,  not  by  death  but  be- 
cause He  spoke  the  truth.  It  occurred  on  the  Sab'bath,  the  day 
after  He  and  Pe'ter  walked  on  the  water. 

"The  crowd,  supposing  they  would  find  Him  again  the 
next  morning,  went  early  to  the  place  where  they  had  left  Him 
on  the  shore,  but  as  He  had  departed,  they  crossed  the  lake  to 
Ca-per'na-um.  On  finding  His  whereabouts  they  asked  Him 
how  it  was  possible  that  He  got  to  Ca-per'na-um  having  no 
boat.  He  did  not  tell  them  that  He  walked  on  the  water  to  the 
A-pos'tles'  boat  and  went  over  in  that. 

"Je'sus  now  felt  that  it  was  time  for  people  to  study  them- 
selves seriously  and  to  know  His  mission  on  earth,  so  He  said: 
'You  do  not  seek  me  because  of  the  work  I  am  doing,  nor  the 
words  I  speak  of  My  Father  in  heaven,  but  rather  do  you  seek 
Me  because  of  the  loaves  and  fishes. 

"This  does  not  seem  quite  like  Je'sus  to  make  a  remark  like 
this,"  said  Uncle  John,  "y^t  He  wanted  to  set  the  people  to 
thinking.  At  times  they  seemed  filled  with  an  idle  curiosity,  as 
if  making  a  sort  of  picnic  of  very  solemn  things." 

"How  did  the  people  take  it?"  said  Paul,  who  was  now  do- 
ing a  good  deal  of  thinking. 

"At  first,"  answered  Uncle  John,  "the  people  seemed  to  be 
touched  by  what  Je'sus  said,  and  asked  Him  how  they  should  go 
about  to  do  the  work  of  God.  Je'sus  replied  that  if  they  would 
do  God's  work,  they  must  believe  on  Him,  for  God  had  sent 
Him  to  teach  them  the  way  of  truth  and  life. 

"Then  they  said,  *If  you  are  sent  from  God,  show  us  a  sign 
that  we  may  believe  on  You.    When  our  fathers  came  up  from 

114 


Je'sus  Loses  Some  Friends  115 

E'gypt,  Mouses,  their  leader,  gave  them  man'na  from  heaven  to 
eat.    DaVid,  the  psalmist,  called  it  the  bread  of  Heav'en.' 

"Then  Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "told  them  it  was  not 
Mo'ses  who  gave  their  fathers  bread  from  heaven,  but  God 
who  gave  it;  and  that  God  had  sent  Him  as  bread  from  heaven 
that  they  might  live  forever. 

"Tliis  remark  angered  them  and  they  said,  one  to  another: 
'How  ?an  He  come  from  heaven?  How  can  He  call  Himself 
the  Bread  of  Life?  We  know  where  He  was  born.  He  is  the 
son  of  a  carpenter  of  Naz'a-reth.' 

"But  Je'sus  did  not  lose  patience  with  them.  He  endeavored 
again  and  again  to  impress  upon  them  the  thought  that  earthly 
food  could  not  give  eternal  life,  but  that  His  words  coming 
from  God  could  give  eternal  life. 

"Many  of  the  people  now  departed;  so  many,  indeed,  that 
no  one  seemed  left  except  the  A-pos'tles.  Turning  to  them  in 
that  sorrowful  hour  Je'sus  said:  'And  will  ye  also  go  away?' 
Pe'ter  then  said:  'To  whom  shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the  words 
of  eternal  life.  We  believe  that  Thou  art  the  Holy  One  of 
God.' 

"Pe'ter's  words  in  a  measure  comforted  Je'sus,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "but  His  heart  was  sad  and  He  could  not  forget  how 
the  multitude  had  left  Him  when  He  tried  to  impress  great 
truths  upon  their  minds." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXVI 

Where  did  the  people  next  find  Jesus? 

Why  did  Jesus  tell  the  people  they  followed  him? 

On  what  conditions  did  they  say  they  would  believe  on  Jesus? 

What  did  they  say  among  themselves? 

What  did  many  of  them  do? 

When  they  were  all  gone  what  did  Jesus  ask  the  apostles  ? 

How  did  they  answer  him? 

What  is  our  life  here  like? 


AT   THE    HOUSE   OF    MATTHEW. 

rnOM   PAINTING    BY   ALEXANDER   BIDA. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE    PRODIGAL    SON 

Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  April 

"Uncle  John,"  said  Paul  during  the  week,  "father  would 
like  to  come  to  our  next  lesson.  He  wants  to  know  what  you 
think  Je'sus  means  by  His  story  of  the  Prod'i-gal  Son." 

"Well,  my  dear,"  said  Uncle  John,  "we  shall  be  more  than 
glad  to  have  your  father  with  us,  and,  of  com'se,  your  mother 
will  be  present,  for  we  now  consider  her  a  part  of  our  group." 

So  the  entire  family  sat  down  to  learn  Je'sus'  object  in  tell- 
ing the  people  the  story  of  the  Prod'i-gal  Son. 

Uncle  John  first  said:  "Have  you  forgotten,  my  children, 
the  meaning  of  Publi-cans?"  "No,"  said  Paul,  "a  Publi-can 
was  a  tax  gatherer."  "Right,  my  boy,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and 
you  will  remember  also  that  Je'sus  asked  Mat^thew,  a  Publi- 
can, to  follow  Him,  which  he  did. 

"JNIat'thew  naturally  had  friends  among  the  tax  gatherers, 
called  sinners  by  the  Jews,  and  some  of  them  came  to  hear 
Je'sus  speak.  Now  some  of  the  Jews  did  not  like  it  because 
Je'sus  associated  with  Publi-cans,  and  cast  reflections  upon 
Him  by  saying:  'He  receives  Publi-cans  and  sinners,  and  goes 
so  far  as  to  eat  with  them.' 

"It  was  because  of  this  complaint,  on  their  part,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "that  Je'sus  preached  to  them  the  Par'a-ble  of  the  Prod'- 
i-gal  Son.  In  this  Par'a-ble  the  elder  son  represents  the  peo- 
ple who  are  making  complaints,  and  the  younger  son  represents 
the  Pubii-can  and  sinners. 

"Je'sus  begins  His  Par'a-ble  as  follows:  There  was  a  man 
who  had  two  sons.  The  younger  one  said:  'Father,  give  unto 
me  that  portion  of  goods  which  belongs  to  me.'  So  the  father 
divided  his  property  between  the  two  sons.    When  the  younger 

117 


118  The  Prodigal  Son 

received  his  portion  he  went  away  into  a  foreign  country,  and 
there  wasted  his  fortune  in  riotous  hving. 

"Soon  he  began  to  be  in  want,  and  at  last  hired  out  to  a 
farmer,  who  sent  him  into  his  field  to  feed  the  swine.  Even 
here,  he  was  so  much  in  want,  that  he  ate  the  husks  which  were 
provided  for  the  swine.  He  now  began  to  think  about  his  father, 
and  the  old  home  and  he  said  to  himself.  'How  many  of  my 
father's  hired  servants  have  bread  enough  and  to  spare,  but  I 
perish  with  hunger.  I  will  arise  and  go  unto  my  father  and  will 
say  unto  him:  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  before 
thee,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son,  but  make  me 
one  of  thy  hired  servants.' 

"So  he  arose  and  went  unto  his  father,  and  when  he  was 
yet  a  great  way  from  home,  his  father  seeing  him,  had  compas- 
sion, and  ran  and  fell  on  his  neck  and  kissed  tiim,  and  brought 
him  home.  He  then  told  his  father  his  thoughts  in  that  far  off 
country,  how  he  had  come  to  be  a  hired  servant.  His  father 
made  no  reply,  saying  only  to  his  servants:  'Bring  forth  the 
best  robe  and  put  it  on  him,  give  him  shoes  for  his  feet,  and 
place  a  ring  upon  his  finger.  Kill  the  fatted  calf,  and  let  us 
eat  and  be  merry,  for  this,  my  son,  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again, 
was  lost  and  is  found.'     So  a  feast  was  prepared. 

"Now  the  older  son,"  said  Uncle  John,  "who  was  far  off  on 
the  estate,  came  home.  As  he  drew  near  to  the  house,  he  heard 
the  sound  of  music  and  dancing.  Calling  one  of  the  servants 
he  asked  what  all  this  merriment  meant. 

"The  servant  said,  'Thy  brother  hath  come,  and  because  he 
is  safe  and  sound,  thy  father  hath  killed  for  him  the  fatted  calf.' 

"Then  this  elder  brother  was  angry,  and  would  not  go  in  the 
house,  but  when  the  father  knew  he  was  there,  he  went  out  and 
entreated  him  to  come  in.  But  the  elder  son  said  to  his  father: 
'Lo,  these  many  years  have  I  served  thee,  and  thou  never  gavest 
me  even  a  kid  to  make  merry  with  my  friends,  but  when  this. 


120  The  Prodigal  Son 

thy  son,  who  has  wasted  his  fortune  in  riotous  Hving  is  come, 
thou  hath  bestowed  upon  him  many  gifts  and  killed  for  him  the 
fatted  calf.' 

"The  father  said:  'Son,  thou  art  ever  with  me  and  all  that  I 
have  is  thine.  It  is  best  that  we  make  merry  and  be  glad,  for 
this,  thy  brother,  was  dead  and  is  alive  again,  was  lost  and  is 
found.'  " 

Uncle  John  having  finished,  patted  Paul  on  the  head  say- 
ing: "You  see  Je'sus  always  forgave  sinners,  and  tliis  story 
is  told  by  Je'sLis  to  the  Jews,  because  they  condemned  Him  for 
eating  with  sinners.  All  He  asked  M^as,  that  they  repent,  and 
sin  no  more.  He  wants  all  men  to  help  sinners.  He  expects  it, 
or  He  would  not  have  set  the  example." 

As  the  lesson  ended,  the  father  said:  "I  don't  wonder  these 
children  are  interested.  I,  also,  shall  be  glad  to  join  you  often 
in  these  talks."  He  grasped  Uncle  John's  hands  as  much  as  to 
say:  "We  will  need  to  help  each  other." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXVII 

What  new  member  came  into  Uncle  John's  class? 

Who  was  a  publican? 

Why  did  Jesus  preach  the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son? 

Whom  did  the  elder  and  younger  son  represent? 

What  did  the  younger  son  do? 

What  became  of  his  -money? 

Tell  what  he  did  when  he  became  very  hungry. 

What  did  his  father  do  when  he  saw  him  coming? 

Tell  about  the  feast. 

Who  came  home  during  the  feast? 

Tell  how  the  elder  brother  felt,  and  what  he  said. 

What  did  the  father  answer? 

Why  did  Jesus  tell  this  story  to  the  Jews  ? 

What  does  Jesus  expect  every  one  to  do? 

What  did  the  father  say  at  the  close  of  the  lesson? 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  SABBATH  DAY  AND   HOW   JE'sUS  LOOKED  UPON   IT 

Afternoon  Lesson 

In  the  afternoon  the  cliildren  and  their  parents  sat  down 
again  with  Uncle  John  to  talk  over  some  of  the  great  questions 
which  Je'sus  had  preached  about.  Among  these  questions  was 
one  regarding  the  Sab'bath  Day,  and  how  it  should  be  ob- 
served. 

"A  certain  sect  of  the  Jews  were  very  strict  regarding  the 
Sab'bath,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and  would  not  build  a  fire  even  on 
that  day  lest  they  should  sin. 

"They  were,  in  fact,  so  exacting  that  they  would  not  take 
up  arms  on  the  Sab'bath  day,  even  though  their  enemies  walked 
into  Je-i-u'sa-lem,  killing  people  and  taldng  the  city,  as  was  once 
the  case. 

"Now,  shortly  after  Je'sus  had  told  His  story  of  the  Prod'- 
i-gal  Son,  He  and  His  A-pos'tles  went  through  a  field  of  corn. 
The  A-pos'tles  being  huungry,  plucked  the  ears  of  corn  and  ate 
them. 

"When  these  Jews  heard  about  it,  they  complained,  saying 
it  was  not  lawful.  Je'sus  said:  'If  it  was  necessary  for  the 
A-pos'tles  to  have  food  there  was  no  sin  in  it.  Necessity,'  He 
said,  'was  to  guide  one's  actions.' 

"No  one,"  said  Uncle  John,  "kept  the  Sab'bath  day  more 
holy  than  Je'sus,  yet  He  felt  that  on  this  subject  they  were  nar- 
row and  bigoted,  and  He  did  not  hesitate  to  tell  them  so. 

"In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  that  Je'sus  and  the 
A-pos'tles  Mere  in  the  corn  field,  Je'sus  went  into  the  Syn'a- 
gogue.     Here  were  the  fault-finders  watching  for  Him. 

"Just  before  entering,  He  talked  wvih  a  stone  mason  whose 
hand  had  withered  as  a  result  of  being  crushed.  No  doubt  the 
man  had  asked  Je'sus  to  cure  Him.    At  any  rate  this  stone  ma- 

121 


122  Je'sus  and  the  Sah'hath  Day 

son  went  into  the  temple,  and  the  people  were  watching  to  see 
whether  or  not  Je'sus  would  heal  this  man  on  the  Sab'bath  day. 

"Je'sus,  as  usual,  knew  what  the  people  were  thinking  about 
and  He  said  to  them:  'Which  is  right,  to  save  life  or  to  destroy 
it;  to  do  good  or  to  do  evil  on  the  Sab'bath  Day?' 

"They  quickly  said  that  it  was  right  to  save  life.  Je'sus 
then  turned  to  the  stone  mason  and  said  to  him:  'Stand  forth.' 
The  man  stood  up.  All  eyes  were  now  fixed  upon  him.  Je'sus 
said  to  him:  'Stretch  forth  thy  hand.'  He  did  so,  and  it  was 
made  whole. 

"Je'sus  now  turned  to  the  people  saying:  'If  any  one  of  you 
have  a  sheep  and  it  fall  into  a  pit  on  the  Sab'bath,  do  you  leave 
it  there  because  it  is  the  Sab'bath  Day,  or  do  you  get  it  out?' 
They  said:  'We  get  it  out.'  Je'sus  then  said:  'How  much  better 
is  a  man  than  a  sheep?' 

"The  fault  finders  making  this  trouble  were  lawyers,  known 
as  Scribes,  and  a  sect  of  Jews,  known  as  the  Phar'i-sees.  The 
Scribes  and  Phar'i-sees  were  a  proud  lot  of  people,  who  had 
been  accustomed  to  having  their  own  way  in  all  public  matters. 
This  teaching  of  Je'sus  was  so  contrary  to  their  doctrine  that 
it  made  them  angry.  Because  of  Je'sus'  triumph,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "they  went  away  to  plot  with  the  wicked  king  to  end  His 
Kfe." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXVIII 

What  is  this  lesson  about? 

Tell  how  strict  some  of  the  Jews  were  about  tRe  Sabbath. 

What  did  Jesus  and  his  apostles  do  on  the  Sabbath? 

What  did  the  Jews  do  when  they  heard  about  it? 

How  did  Jesus  answer  them? 

Where  did  Jesus  go,  and  whom  did  he  see  that  Sunday  afternoon  ? 

What  question  did  Jesus  ask  the  people? 

What  did  Jesus  then  say  and  do  to  the  stone  mason? 

Who  were  the  fault  finders  in  this  case? 

What  did  they  plot  to  do,  and  why? 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

WASHING   AWAY   SIN 

Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  April 

Paul,  who  had  come  early  and  gotten  the  chairs  arranged 
for  a  good  long  lesson,  said  he  thought  it  was  horrid  in  those 
Scribes  and  Phar'i-sees  to  do  Je'sus  harm,  simply  because  He 
didn't  believe  as  they  did. 

"That  is  so,"  said  Pau-line',  "but  it  is  true  even  to-day  of 
some  folks,  isn't  it.  Uncle  John?" 

"Yes,  that  is  true,  but  let  us  not  get  excited  about  it.  Je'sus' 
trouble  is  all  passed  away,  and  we  must  try  to  have  good  hearts, 
because  He  wished  it,"  said  Uncle  John. 

"To-day  we  are  to  talk  about  a  subject  which  took  up  the 
washing  of  cups  and  saucers,  but  first  let  us  see  how  it  came 
about. 

"Some  Scribes  and  Phar'i-sees  had  come  up  from  Je-ru'sa- 
lem  to  watch  Je'sus,  and,  if  possible,  to  condemn  Him. 

"They  were  scholars  of  the  time  and  it  was  expected  they 
would  ask  Him  some  questions  which  He  could  not  answer,  or 
if  He  did,  that  His  answers  would  get  Him  into  trouble,  and 
give  them  occasion  to  put  Him  in  prison." 

"That  was  con-temptlble,  but  I  expect  they  succeeded," 
said  Paul,  "at  least  for  a  time,  and  then  maybe  they  fell  into 
their  own  trap,  that  is  generally  the  way  with  smart  folks." 
"Maybe,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  we  shall  see  that  Je'sus  saw 
through  their  plans  and  did  not  fall  into  their  trap. 

"At  the  time  Je'sus  lived  it  was  a  custom  of  some  of  the 
Jews  to  wash  their  hands  when  they  came  from  the  market  and 
other  places,  lest  they  might  have  touched  some  person  or 
things  which  were  not  clean. 

123 


124  Washing  Away  JSin 

"They  thought  the  wasliing  of  the  hands  washed  away  sins. 

"In  like  manner,  just  before  eating,  they  washed  the  cups 
and  saucers  several  times  lest  some  one  might  have  touched 
them  who  was  sinful.  They  also  scrubbed  the  couches  on 
which  they  were  to  recline  during  the  meal,  for  just  the  same 
reason.  In  their  estimation  it  was  more  wicked  to  eat  with  un- 
washed hands,  than  to  persecute  or  even  kill  a  man  who  had 
violated  their  customs  or  laws. 

"Now  it  was  just  such  men  as  these,  who  came  one  day  from 
Je-ru'sa-lem  and  other  towns  to  convict  Je'sus.  They  asked 
how  it  came  about  that  His  A-pos'tles  broke  the  law  of  the 
country  by  eating  with  unwashed  hands? 

"From  this  question  we  judge  that  the  A-pos'tles  had  been 
to  some  feast  where  they  had  neglected  to  wash  their  hands,  or 
at  least,  had  not  washed  them  as  often  as  these  men  thought  they 
should. 

"The  A-pos'tles  at  this  time  were  standing  beside  Je'sus,  so 
they  said  nothing,  but  left  Him  to  answer.  Je'sus  answered  as 
He  often  did,  by  first  asking  them  a  question.  He  said:  'How 
is  it  that  you  dishonor  God  by  respecting  the  laws  which  only 
your  ancestors  have  taught  you?' 

"The  Scribes  and  Phar'i-sees  were  much  astonished  at  this, 
and  said:  'We  do  not  dishonor  God.' 

"Yes,  you  do,"  said  Je'sus,  "God's  command  is  to  'Honor 
thy  father  and  thy  mother,'  but  you  do  not.  Some  of  you  take 
money  which  should  support  them,  and  pretend  to  place  it  on  the 
altar  as  a  gift  to  God,  and  by  so  doing,  free  yourself  from  sup- 
porting them.  Your  law  permits  you  to  do  that.  But  God's  law 
does  not,  and  in  keeping  your  law,  you  break  His  law. 

"Then  Je'sus  spoke  of  their  habit  of  washing  cups  and 
saucers.  Je'sus,  himself,  was  clean  and  wanted  everything  to 
be  clean,  but  He  wanted  it  understood  that  clean  hands  did  not 
make  a  clean  heart,  and  that  washing  cups  and  saucers  did  not 


Washing  Away  Sin  125 

make  a  clean  life.  It  is  not  what  a  man  puts  to  his  lips,  or  what 
he  eats  which  hurts  him,  but  what  he  thinks  in  his  heart  and 
what  he  does  to  his  fellow  men,  that  makes  him  impure. 

"The  Scribes  and  Phar'i-sees  saw  with  great  certainty  that 
Je'sus  was  no  common  man,  yet  they  were  jealous  of  Him  and 
could  see  only  evil  in  His  teachings.  They  hardened  their  hearts 
more  than  ever,  and  went  away  determined  to  conquer  Him. 

"If  you  have  any  questions  to  ask,  my  little  folks,  you  are 
at  liberty  to  do  so  now,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  he  finished  the 
lesson. 

"I  think  Je'sus  was  wonderful,"  said  Pau-hne'.  "I  don't 
believe  the  people  could  ever  have  crucified  Him  if  He  hadn't 
let  them.     He  would  have  found  some  way  out  of  it." 

"Of  course  He  could,"  said  Uncle  John.  "He  knew  from 
the  first  that  He  must  die  on  the  cross  in  order  to  save  others, 
but  He  wanted  to  do  His  work  first." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXIX 

What  had  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  come  from  Jerusalem  to  do? 
Tell  about  the  washing  of  hands,  and  why  the  scribes  and  pharisees  did 
it  so  often. 

What  question  did  they  ask  Jesus? 

How  did  Jesus  answer  them? 

What  was  their  answer  and  Jesus'  reply? 

What  did  Jesus  say  made  people  impure? 

What  effect  did  Jesus'  words  have  on  the  scribes  and  pharisees? 

What  did  Pauline  think  about  this,  and  what  was  Uncle  John's  reply? 


CHAPTER   XXX 

HOW  TO  PRAY.      HEALING  THE  DEAF,  DUMB  AND  BLIND 

Afternoon  Lesson 

Four  o'clock  came  none  too  soon  for  Paul  and  Pau-line'. 
They  were  ready  with  Tes'ta-ment  and  chairs  when  Uncle  John, 
who  had  been  out  to  see  a  sick  neighbor,  returned. 

"My  dears,"  he  said,  "I  hope  I  have  not  kept  you  waiting. 
We  are  to  study  this  afternoon  the  prayer  Je'sus  taught  His 
A-pos'tles. 

"In  Je'sus'  time  the  people  stood  during  prayer.  One  day 
the  A-pos'tles,  although  some  distance  away,  seeing  Je'sus  in 
this  reverent  attitude,  concluded  to  ask  Him  to  teach  them  to 
pray. 

"So  when  He  had  finished  and  joined  them,  they  said:  'Lord 
teach  us  also  how  to  pray.'  He  then  taught  them  what  is 
known  as  'The  Lord's  Prayer.'  It  is  the  most  beautiful  prayer 
ever  repeated  by  man.  Je'sus  gave  this  same  prayer  to  the 
world  at  the  time  He  delivered  the  'Sermon  on  the  Mount.'  He 
then  taught  it  to  His  A-pos'tles. 

"Let  us  turn  to  it,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and  read  it  in  con- 
cert.   You  will  find  it  in  Mat'thew  VI:9-13: 
'Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven. 
Hallowed  be  thy  name. 
Thy  kingdom  come. 
Thy  will  be  done  in  earth. 
As  it  is  in  heaven. 
Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. 
And  forgive  us  our  debts  as  we  forgive  our  debtors. 
And  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil; 
For  thine  is  the  Kingdom,  and  the  power  and  the  glory  for- 
ever.    Amen.' 

126 


128  How  to  Pray 

"You  will  notice,"  said  Uncle  John,  "there  are  seven  re- 
quests in  this  prayer,  yet  only  one  asks  for  earthly  needs.  It  is 
a  very  thoughtful  prayer,  full  of  love  and  has  been  recited  by 
millions  of  people  for  nearly  two  thousand  years. 

"After  this,  Je'sus  gave  the  A-pos'tles  a  parable  to  show 
them  the  necessity  of  prayer  and  the  need  of  faith.  This  is 
what  He  said:  A  certain  man  wished  to  go  to  a  distant  city  to 
visit  a  friend.  In  order  to  avoid  the  heat,  he  traveled  by  night 
and  rested  by  day.  After  some  travel,  he  reached  the  house  of 
his  friend,  at  a  late  hour,  tired  and  hungry. 

"Now  this  friend  whom  he  visited  was  poor  and  had  nothing 
in  the  house  to  eat.  He  could  get  nothing  at  the  stores  for  they 
were  closed  for  the  night. 

"Knowing  his  guest  was  hungry,  he  concluded  to  go  to  the 
house  of  a  neighbor  and  borrow  some  bread.  He  explained  to 
the  neighbor  that  company  had  come  unexpectedly,  and  that  it 
would  be  a  great  favor  if  he  would  loan  him  some  bread. 

"Now  the  neighbor  was  cross  because  he  had  been  awak- 
ened, and  refused  to  loan.  The  man  kept  knocking.  The 
neighbor  still  refused,  saying:  'My  children  are  with  me,  and 
the  house  is  locked  and  barred.  Trouble  me  not.'  Still  the  man 
kept  on  knocking.  Finally,  because  he  was  persistent,  the 
neighbor  got  up  and  gave  all  that  he  asked. 

"When  Je'sus  had  finished  the  parable.  He  said  to  His 
A-pos'tles:  'If  persistence  will  conquer  a  cross  neighbor,  how 
much  will  it  help  us  with  God,  especially  so,  when  we  consider 
that  He  wishes  to  give  us  aid  in  every  hour  of  need.  We  must 
ask  Him.    Let  us  never  fail  to  ask  Him.' 

"Soon  after  this,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Jesus  and  His  A-pos'- 
tles  met  a  man  possessed  with  an  evil  spirit,  making  him 
blind,  deaf  and  dumb.  Je'sus  as  usual,  calmed,  cured  and 
soothed  him. 

"This  wonderful  cure  aroused  the  people's  admiration,  and 
they  said  over  and  over  again:  'Is  not  this  the  Mes-si'ah?' 


How  to  Pray  129 

"The  men  present,  who  had  been  opposing  Je'sus,  could  not 
deny  that  a  great  miracle  had  been  performed,  yet  they  hoped 
they  could  spoil  his  popularity  by  saying  bad  things  about  it. 
So  they  said,  'We  do  not  deny  that  Je'sus  cured  this  man,  but 
He  has  done  it  by  the  power  of  Sa'tan.' 

"Now  the  sons  of  some  of  these  men  had  the  power  of  heal- 
ing, so  Je'sus  said  to  them,  'Will  you  say  that  your  sons  also 
heal  by  the  power  of  the  Dev'il?'  And  then,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"before  they  had  time  to  answer,  Je'sus  made  reply,  'Oh,  no. 
Saltan  is  not  foolish  enough  to  lend  power  to  defeat  his  pur- 
pose.' 

"He  then  explained  by  saying:  'Suppose  you  were  to  come 
to  a  great  stone  fortress  full  of  captive  people,  who  were  crying 
for  deliverance.  Suppose  also,  that  in  front  of  this  castle,  stood 
a  giant,  covered  with  armor  from  head  to  foot;  a  sword  at  his 
side,  a  shield  on  his  left  arm  and  a  spear  in  his  right  hand.  You 
would  know,  would  you  not,  he  was  there  to  keep  away  all  who 
came  to  rescue  the  prisoners?  Now,  how  could  they  be  rescued? 
Only  by  one  stronger  than  the  giant.  This  is  what  I  did.  I 
found  this  poor  man  a  prisoner,  bound  by  Sa'tan.  I  battled 
against  Sa'tan  and  set  him  free.  I  rescued  him  by  the  power  of 
God.     This  is  the  only  sure  and  permanent  rescue.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXX 

What  are  we  to  study  in  this  lesson? 

What  did  the  apostles  ask  Jesus  to  do? 

Repeat  the  prayer  Jesus  taught  them. 

What  did  Uncle  John  say  about  this  prayer? 

What  did  Jesus  do  to  show  the  need  of  faith  and  prayer? 

Can  you  tell  the  story  that  Jesus  told? 

Whom  did  Jesus  next  cure? 

What  did  the  people  say  to  themselves? 

What  did  Jesus'  enemies  say  about  the  cure? 

What  did  he  reply  to  them? 

What  story  did  Jesus  tell  them  to  explain  how  he  cured  the  man? 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


SETTING  A   TRAP    FOR   JE  SUS 

Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  April 

Uncle  John's  talks  had  grown  so  interesting  to  Paul  and 
Pau-line',  that  they  invited  the  children  from  the  neighboring 
farms.  So  here  we  find  them  bright  and  happy.  Among  those 
present  were  Charlie  Stafford  and  his  sister,  Pe'ter  Mills  with 
his  brother,  also  two  chubby  sisters  in  pink,  Phoe'be  and  Bes'sie 
White. 

Uncle  John  gave  them  a  warm  welcome  and  began  the  les- 
son, saying: 

"We  came  to  talk  to-day  about  Je'sus  at  the  midday  hour. 
A  certain  Phar'i-see  asked  Him  to  go  home  to  dinner  with  him. 
There  was  not  much  warmth  in 
the  invitation.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  was  a  formal  invita- 
tion, a  sort  of  a  trap  to  get 
Je'sus  out  alone  without  His 
A-pos'tles.  Je'sus,  having  no 
fear,  however,  accepted,  and 
went  home  to  dine  with  the 
Phar'i-see. 
•  "When  He  arrived  at  the 
house  He  found  many  guests. 
They  had  assembled  partly  out 
of  curiosity,  and  doubtless, 
also,  for  the  purpose  of  confus- 
ing Him  in  His  talk. 

"Had    Je'sus    followed    the 

«    .,         ,  TT  IJ  'TOLLOW  ME." 

custom  01  the  day,  He  would, 

upon  entering,  have  bathed  His  hands  and  feet,  but  contrary  to 

custom.  He  went  immediately  to  the  couch  where  He  was  to  re- 

130 


Setting  a  Trap  for  Je'sus  131 

cline  during  the  dinner.  He  knew  that  the  Phar'i-sees  and  his 
friends  wanted  an  excuse  to  criticise  Him,  so  He  felt  that  it 
might  as  well  come  first  as  last. 

"When  Je'sus  did  not  wash,  the  host  showed  astonishment. 
Je'sus  immediately  answered  the  host  saying,  'How  do  ye 
Phar'i-sees  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter  while 
your  inward  part  is  full  of  death  and  decay?'  He  then  told 
those  present,  that  the  lives  of  the  Phar'i-sees  were  merely  made 
for  show ;  that  they  prayed  in  public  places  where  men  could  see 
them,  but  that  God  liked  secret  prayer  best.  He  said  they  mag- 
nified the  small  things  of  life,  and  neglected  the  real  things 
which  would  help  the  world. 

"While  Je'sus  was  talking,  one  of  the  company,  a  lawyer, 
interrupted  Him,  saying:  'In  speaking  as  you  do,  you  throw  re- 
proach on  us.'  Je'sus  bravely  replied,  'Do  you  not  make  law^s 
which  are  a  burden  to  humanity?  You  remind  me  of  men  who 
withhold  the  key  of  knowledge.' 

"Now,  when  the  Phar'i-sees  saw  that  Je'sus  understood 
their  ti*ue  character,  they  threw  off  their  masks  of  politeness, 
and  crowded  so  thick  upon  him  that  the  feast  was  broken  up." 

"What  became  of  Je'sus?"  said  Pau-line'. 

"Je'sus  got  away  from  them,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  how, 
perhaps,  we  shall  never  know.  JNIaybe  some  of  the  servants 
told  the  people  outside,  for  there  w^as  a  great  crowd  around  the 
house,  which  from  moment  to  moment  grew  larger.  I  judge 
that  the  crowd  so  frightened  the  men,  that  they  allowed  Je'sus 
to  depart  in  peace. 

"Je'sus  said  to  his  A-pos'tles  who  were  waiting  outside 
with  the  crowd :  'Be  not  afraid  of  men,  but  think  of  God,  w  hose 
eye  is  brighter  than  the  sun.  He  can  see  the  secret  life  of  every 
man.' 

"While  thus  talking  to  His  A-jDOs'tles,  a  young  man  came 
up  and  asked  Je'sus  to  persuade  his  brother  to  divide  his  for- 


132  Setting  a  Trap  for  Je'sus 

tune  with  him.  Je'sus  said  to  him:  'Man,  who  hath  made  me 
a  judge  over  you?'  Je'sus,  seeing  he  was  persistent,  spake  a 
parable  unto  him.  This  is  what  He  said:  'There  was  a  man 
with  a  very  large  farm.  The  crops  were  so  great,  that  he  did 
not  know  what  to  do  with  them.  After  thinking  the  matter 
over,  he  said  to  himself,  I  know  what  I  will  do.  I  will  pull  down 
these  barns  and  build  greater  ones.  There  I  will  store  my 
goods,  and  I  will  say  to  my  soul.  Soul,  have  a  good  time  and  be 
fat.' 

"  'Now,  on  that  same  night,'  said  Je'sus,  'the  farmer  died,  so 
what  good  did  all  his  riches  do  him?' 

*'When  the  parable  was  finished,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus 
turned  to  his  disciples  and  said:  'Therefore,  I  say  unto  you, 
take  no  thought  of  your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat,  neither  for  the 
body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  The  life  is  more  than  meat  and  the 
body  is  more  than  raiment.  Consider  the  ravens,  for  they 
neither  sow  nor  reap,  neither  do  they  have  storehouses  or  barns, 
yet  God  feedeth  them.     How  much  better  are  ye  than  they?'  " 

With  this  the  lesson  was  finished,  and  the  children  all  asked 
to  come  again  in  the  afternoon. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXI 

Who  were  present  at  the  next  Sunday's  lesson? 
Who  asked  Jesus  to  dinner,  and  why? 

What  unusual  thing  did  Jesus  do  when  he  entered  the  house? 
What   did   Jesus    do    that    astonished  the   man   who   had    asked   him 
to  dinner? 

This  looked  impolite;  how  did  Jesus  explain  it? 

What  did  the  lawyer  say  to  Jesus,  and  how  did  Jesus  reply? 

What  did  the  Pharisees  then  do? 

How  did  Jesus  get  away? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  his  apostles? 

What  did  a  young  man  come  and  ask  Jesus  ? 

What  parable  did  Jesus  tell  the  young  man? 

After  the  parable  was  finished  what  did  Jesus  say  to  his  apostles? 

What  request  did  the  visiting  children  make? 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

je'sus  among  heathen  people 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"Now,"  said  Uncle  John,  "with  so  large  a  class,  our  lesson 
this  afternoon  should  be  glorious.  Suppose,  Paul,  you  tell  the 
young  folks  where  we  left  Je'sus  this  morning. 

"Well,"  said  Paul,  "the  SaVior  had  been  invited  to  a  feast, 
but  instead  of  the  guests  separating  with  good  wishes,  the  ene- 
mies of  Je'sus  tried  to  stir  up  discord." 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and  Je'sus  felt  so  bad  about  it, 
that  shortly  after.  He  went  with  his  disciples  over  to  the  cities 
on  the  ]Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an  Sea.  The  trip  was  a  sort  of  outing. 
The  A-pos'tles  were  all  accustomed  to  ships  and  trade,  and  the 
voyage  was  no  doubt  a  pleasant  one.  They  first  stopped  at 
Sy'ro-Phe-ni'ci-a.  The  people  at  this  place  did  not  worship  the 
one  true  God,  they  were  known  as  heathens. 

"One  day  while  staying  here,  a  Sy'ro-Phe-ni'ci-an  ^voman 
followed  Je'sus,  and  asked  Him  to  cure  her  daughter,  whom  she 
said  was  possessed  with  an  evil  spirit. 

"Je'sus  at  first  paid  no  attention  to  her.  The  disciples, 
thinking  it  was  because  she  was  a  heathen,  and  desiring  to  get 
rid  of  her,  asked  Je'sus  to  send  the  woman  away.  'But,'  said 
Je'sus,  'I  am  not  sent  to  any  one  except  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
House  of  Is'ra-el.' 

"Je'sus  hoped  by  this  remark  to  make  the  disciples  think 
sei'iously.  He  wanted  them  to  be  willing  to  heal  any  one,  no 
matter  what  their  position  or  belief.  Je'sus  then  turned  to  the 
Moman  and  made  a  very  strange  remark.  A  remark  which  was 
just  like  Him.  He  was  always  speaking  in  riddles.  This  is 
what  He  said:  *It  is  not  right  that  I  should  take  the  children's 
meat  and  give  it  to  dogs.' 

"That  was  not  just  like  Je'sus,  was  it,  Uncle  John?"  said 

133 


134 


Je'sus  Among  Heathens 


Paul.  "No,"  replied  Uncle  John,  "and  yet  Je'sus  said  this 
because  His  own  people,  the  Jews,  looked  upon  the  heathen  as 
dogs,  and  He  wished  to  show  the  disciples  how  unjust  it  was 
to  look  upon  any  person  as  lower  than  themselves. 

"The  woman  evidently 
read  Je'sus'  real  thought, 
for  she  turned  His  speech 
very  happily.  She  said: 
'It  is  true,  my  Lord,  that 
the  bread  reserved  for  chil- 
dren should  not  be  given  to 
dogs,  but  the  dogs  eat  of 
the  crumbs  which  fall  from 
their  Master's  table.'  In 
saying  this,  the  woman 
meant  that  she  would  be 
satisfied  if  only  crumbs  of 
help  were  given  her.  Je'- 
sus  was  pleased  with  her 
courage  and  did  not  send 
her  away  empty.  She 
carried  back  to  the  sick 
daughter  a  faith  that  made 
her  well. 

"As  they  continued  their 
journey,  Je'sus  found 
other  work  to  do,  and 
strange  to  say.  He  found  it  where  He  least  expected  it.  Going 
east  in  the  boat.  He  and  His  disciples  came  to  the  head 
waters  of  the  Jor'dan,  which  they  crossed  to  De-cap'o-lis,  a 
town  located  on  the  further  side.  Here,  as  at  Sy'ro-Phe-ni'- 
ci-a,  the  people  were  of  old  heathen  stock.  They  did  not  believe 
in  God, 


A  RABBI 


Je'sus  Among  Heathens  135 

"The  reception,  however,  was  as  kind  and  cordial  as  that 
given  them  all  along  the  route.  Je'sus  healed  and  talked,  and 
no  one  molested  Him  and  no  one  hated  Him.  During  one  of 
the  last  days  spent  with  these  heathen  people,  a  great  crowd 
gathered  to  hear  Him  speak.  After  the  sermon,  Je'sus  per- 
formed another  miracle.  Fearing  the  people  would  go  away- 
hungry.  He  requested  them  to  sit  down.  He  then  broke  all 
the  bread  they  had,  which  was  seven  loaves  and  a  few  small 
fishes.  He  then  gave  it  to  the  disciples  and  asked  them  to  pass 
it  to  the  multitude.  The  people  all  ate  and  were  filled,  and  yet 
there  were  present  four  thousand  men,  not  counting  the  women 
and  children.  After  the  feast  the  disciples  gathered  up  seven 
large  basketfuls  that  were  left. 

"Now,  what  do  you  think  of  that,"  said  Uncle  John.  "I 
think,"  said  Pau-line',  "that  it  was  Je'sus'  big  heart  that  enabled 
Him  to  do  so  much.  He  never  thought  of  Himself,  but  of 
others." 

"That  is  right,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Je'sus  never  looked  for 
wealth  or  glory  or  homage,  but  His  heart  could  work  miracles 
because  of  the  love  and  feeling  He  had  for  the  poor,  the  sick 
and  the  hungry." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXII 

Tell  of  the  woman  who  came  to  see  Jesus. 
What  did  the  disciples  ask  Jesus  to  do? 
What  was  Jesus*  reply.'' 

W^hat  did  Jesus  wish  to  teach  his  apostles  by  this  reply.'' 
WHiat  did  Jesus  say  to  the  woman  ? 
What  question  did  Paul  ask  his  uncle? 
How  did  Uncle  John  answer? 
How  did  the  woman  reply  to  Jesus? 
W^hat  did  she  mean  by  this,  and  what  happened? 

After  the  sermon  among  the  heathens  what  wonderful  thing  did  Jesus 
do? 

How  many  did  Jesus  feed  on  this  occasion? 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE  MOST   IMPORTANT   HOURS   IN   JE'sUS'   LIFE 

Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  April 

"Uncle,"  said  Paul,  as  he  came  into  the  large  bay  window 
where  they  had  assembled  for  the  morning  lesson,  "I  have 
brought  our  neighbor  friends  again,  or  rather  they  asked  if 
they  might  come,  as  they  were  not  going  to  the  city  for  church, 
and  I  told  them  to  come  right  along." 

"The  more  the  merrier,"  said  Uncle  John,  "this  is  open 
class  and  all  who  wish  may  come." 

The  young  folks  then  asked  if  they  might  sing  a  hymn,  and 
Uncle  John,  whose  love  for  music  has  always  been  a  source  of 
joy,  started  that  beautiful  old  song,  "Gathering  in  the  Sheaves." 

All  sang  with  a  vim  and  when  finished  Uncle  John  said:  "We 
go  with  Je'sus  to-day  to  Gari-lee,  where  He  did  the  most  of  His 
life's  work.  His  visit  this  time  is  brief.  He  goes  largely  for 
the  purpose  of  saying  good-bye. 

"Leaving  De-cap'o-lis,  Je'sus  and  His  A-pos'tles  sailed  over 
to  Mag'da-la,  intending  to  stay  awhile,  but  being  met  by  enemies 
who  endeavored  to  provoke  Je'sus  into  an  argument,  they  sailed 
away  to  Beth-sa'ida-Jurius  at  the  northern  end  of  the  sea. 

"At  Beth-sa'ida-Jurius,  Je'sus  came  across  a  blind  man. 
He  took  the  hand  of  the  blind  man  and  walked  with  him  until 
they  reached  a  quiet  place  away  from  the  people.  Je'sus  then 
took  some  spittle  and  putting  it  on  the  man's  eyes  asked  him 
what  he  saw?  The  blind  man  said,  'I  see  men  as  trees  walking.' 
Je'sus  repeated  the  treatment  and  the  man  said  that  he  could 
now  see  everything  clearly. 

"The  necessity  of  Je'sus  trying  twice,  before  He  healed  the 
man  goes  to  show  us,"  said  Uncle  John,  "how  much  the  unbe- 
lief of  men  hindered  Je'sus'  work.     His  power  was  so  much 

136 


ABIDE  WITH  US. 


138 


The  Most  Important  Hours 


RUINS  AT  BETHSAIDA 


interfered  with  by  their  want  of  faith,  that  He  could  not  al- 
ways heal  immediately,  and  sometimes  not  at  all. 

"When  Je'sus  had  cured  the  blind  man.  He  and  the  A-j^os'- 
tles  took  the  ship  again  and  went  to  a  city  further  north  called 
Caes-a-re'a-Phi-lip'pi.  His  purpose  in  going  there  was  to  pre- 
pare the  A-j)os'tles  for  the  final  events  that  were  soon  to  take 
place  in  His  life. 

"Shortly  after  arriving  at  Caes-a-re'a-Phi-lip'pi,  Je'sus 
asked  the  A-pos'tles  what  the  people  thought  of  Him;  who  He 
was;  and  what  His  mission  was? 

"The  A-pos'tles  replied:  'Some  of  the  people  think  you 
are  E-li'as,  others  think  you  are  Mo'ses  or  Jer-e-mi'ah,  while 
others  think  you  are  some  one  of  the  old  prophets.' 

"Je'sus  then  turned  to  them  and  said:  'But  whom  do  ye 
say  that  I  am?'     Pe'ter,  who  received  a  revelation  from  God, 


Tlie  Most  Important  Hours  139 

answered,  We  believe  that  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
Living  God.' 

"  'Thou  hast  answered  wisely,'  said  Je'sus,  'and  upon  this 
confession  will  I  build  my  church.' 

"This  hour,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  the  most  important 
time  in  Je'sus'  life,  for  if  the  A-pos'tles,  whom  Je'sus  had  ap- 
l^ointed  to  carry  on  His  work,  had  failed  to  know  and  acknowl- 
edge Him,  Je'sus'  work  would,  in  a  measure,  have  been  a  fail- 
ure. But  since  they  knew  and  acknowledged  who  He  was, 
Je'sus  could  go  forward  in  His  work  with  renewed  zeal. 

"After  this,  Je'sus  talked  with  His  A-pos'tles  about  Him- 
self. He  said  that  He  was  soon  to  be  crucified,  and  that  on  the 
third  day  He  would  rise  from  the  dead,  and  forty  days  after 
His  resurrection  He  would  ascend  into  Heav'en. 

*'This  declaration  made  the  A-pos'tles  sad,  and  Pe'ter  at 
once  said  He  must  not  die,  that  He  could  not  be  spared.  'But,' 
said  Je'sus,  'this  is  a  part  of  my  mission.  I  die  that  I  may  draw 
all  men  unto  me ;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  all.  In  my  Father's 
house  are  many  mansions.    If  it  were  not  so  I  would  have  told 

you.''^ 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXIII 

Why  did  Jesus  go  back  to  Galilee? 

What  did  Jesus  do  to  the  blind  man  at  Bcthsaida-Julias? 

What  did  Jesus  ask  the  apostles  at  Caesarea-Phillipi? 

What  did  the  apostles  reply? 

What  was  Jesus'  next  question  and  Peter's  answer? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  his  apostles  would  soon  happen  to  him? 

How  did  this  make  the  apostles  feel? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  his  apostles  he  was  going  to  do  for  them? 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE  TRANS-FIG-U-RA'TION  OF  JE'SUS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

In  the  afternoon"  Uncle  John  said  to  the  group,  "We  now 
come  to  one  of  the  most  solemn  and  beautiful  events  in  the  life 
of  our  SaVior. 

"Six  days  had  now  passed  since  Je'sus  told  His  A-pos'tles 
that  He  must  be  crucified.  They  had  begun  to  feel  it  must  be 
so,  and  that  they  were  preparing  themselves  for  it.  They  con- 
tinued their  journey  north,  but  left  the  vessel  and  took  a  trip 
on  foot. 

"As  they  were  passing  through  the  country,  Je'sus  reached 
a  quiet  place  far  away  from  any  people.  Here  He  left  all  but 
three  of  his  A-pos'tles :  Pe'ter,  James  and  John,  and  with  them 
climbed  a  mountain  to  a  silent  and  holy  place. 

"Je'sus'  reason  for  going  away  from  the  world,  was  to  show 
the  three  A-pos'tles  how  He  would  look  when  in  Heaven. 

"We  do  not  exactly  know  the  name  of  this  mountain,  but  it 
was  probably  Mt.  Her'man'.  The  ascent  was  begun  in  the 
evening,  and  they  travelled  up  its  slope  until  they  were  weary. 

"We  do  not  know  what  first  took  place,  but  it  is  evident  that 
all  engaged  in  prayer  and  soon  after  that,  Pe'ter,  James  and 
John  fell  asleep. 

"The  most  we  know  is,  after  sleeping  some  time,  they  were 
aroused  by  a  strange  and  wonderful  sight.  Je'sus  during  their 
sleep,  had  taken  on  that  heavenly  glory,  which  all  take  on  when 
Ihey  pass  from  earth  to  heaven. 

"His  tired  look  had  disappeared.  His  dusty  clothes  were 
changed  into  shining  robes.  His  face  portrayed  happiness,  joy 
and  peace.  The  A-pos'tles  in  speaking  of  Him  said:  *He  was 
like  light.  He  shone  like  lightning;  like  His  clothing,  He  was 
white  as  snow.* 

140 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 


BY   RAPHAEL. 


142  The  Tr ans- fig -u-r action 

"During  the  Trans-fig-u-ra'tion  Scene,  two  men  appeared 
with  Je'sus,  one  on  either  side.  These  were  Mouses  and  E-H'jah. 
Mouses  had  died  on  Mt.  Ne'bo,  just  before  the  children  of  Is'ra-el 
entered  the  Promised  Land.  No  man  has  ever  found  the  grave, 
and  no  one  knows  where  he  was  buried,  for  God  laid  him  in  his 
grave. 

"E-li'jah  had  been  in  heaven  nine  hundred  years.  He,  you 
will  perhaps  remember,  never  died,  but  while  walking  through 
the  fields  one  day  with  his  young  friend,  E-li'sha,  was  caught 
up  and  carried  into  Heav'en." 

"I  know  about  E-li'jah  being  caught  up,"  said  Paul.  "Tell 
us  about  it,"  said  Uncle  John. 

"E-li'jah,"  said  Paul,  "was  one  of  the  old  prophets  of 
Is'ra-el,  a  saintly  man,  and  one  of  the  two  who  were  taken  to 
Heav'en  without  dying."  *'That  is  right,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"but  we  must  not  get  too  far  away  from  our  lesson  to-day.  So 
let  us  remember  the  two  men  who  were  present  when  Je'sus 
was  Trans-fig'ur-ed,  Mo'ses  and  E-li'jah. 

"You  wonder  no  doubt,"  continued  Uncle  John,  "what 
Mo'ses  and  E-li'jah  talked  about  while  with  Je'sus.  Well,  it 
was  about  His  death  and  res-ur-rec'tion. 

"Pe'ter,  James  and  John  awoke,  and  while  listening  to  the 
conversation,  heard  a  voice  say:  'This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear 
ye  Him,'  and  then  the  beautiful  Trans-fig-u-ra'tion  scene  ended. 

"When  all  was  over,  the  A-pos'tles  were  more  fully  con- 
vinced than  ever  that  Je'sus  was  the  Mes-si'ah. 

"So  my  friends,"  said  Uncle  John,  "whenever  you  hear  the 
word  Trans-fig-u-ra'tion  in  the  life  of  Je'sus,  you  may  know  it 
has  reference  to  the  scene  about  which  we  have  been  talking 
to-day." 


SUMMIT  OF  MT.  CARMEL. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 


AFTER   THE   TRANS-FIG-U-RA  TION 

Morning  Lesson — First  Su7iday  in  3Iay 

Paul  and  Pau-line'  had  many  questions  to  ask  Uncle  John 
during  the  week.  The  heavenly  vision  of  Je'sus,  Mo'ses  and 
E-li'jah  was  still  a  wonder  to  them.  They  came  to  the  Sun-day 
morning  lesson  with  unusually  bright  faces  and  beaming  eyes. 

Uncle  John  said,  "This  morning  we  follow  Je'sus  and  the 
three  A-pos'tles  down  the  mountain.  Je'sus'  face  is  again  full 
of  worry.  The  burdens  of  the  people  which  fell  off  during  the 
Trans-fig-u-ra'tion,  were  again  manifesting  themselves  in  a 
look  of  sadness. 

"On    their    return    to  the    spot  where    they    left  the    nine' 
A-pos'tles,  they  found  them  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  excited 
people.    Evidently  their  faith  had  been  tested  and  found  want- 
ing.    Je'sus  discovers  that  the  Scribes  are  asking  questions  of 
them. 

143 


144  After  the  Trans-fig-u-ra'tion 

"When  the  crowd  saw  Je'sus,  they  hastened  to  Him.  He 
inquired  what  they  were  asking  the  A-pos'tles.  At  this,  the 
man  who  had  unconsciously  brought  about  the  trouble,  came  for- 
ward, and  told  Je'sus  that  he  had  a  son  who  was  possessed  by 
an  evil  spirit,  at  times  inducing  him  to  end  his  hfe,  by  throwing 
himself  in  the  fire  or  in  the  water.  'So,'  said  the  father,  'I 
brought  my  child  to  your  A-pos'tles  and  they  have  tried  to  cure 
him  but  failed.' 

"This  failure  on  the  part  of  the  A-pos'tles  made  Je'sus 
more  thoughtful  and  possibly  sadder  than  usual.  These  same 
A-pos'tles  had  gone  out  on  other  occasions  and  healed  the  sick, 
the  deaf,  dumb,  blind,  and  even  de-mo'niacs  such  as  this  boy. 
Why  had  they  failed  now?  How  did  they  lose  their  faith? 
These  questions  Je'sus  asked  himself,  then  He  said  to  the 
father,  'If  you  have  faith,  your  boy  can  be  healed,  bring  him 
to  me.'  The  father  said,  'Lord,  I  believe,  help  thou  mine  un- 
behef.' 

"Then  the  boy  was  brought  forward  and  Je'sus  commanded 
the  evil  spirit  to  come  out  and  it  did;  but  in  so  doing  it  threw 
him  on  the  ground,  and  he  seemed  to  be  as  one  dead. 
The  people  standing  around  even  said,  'He  is  dead.' 

"Je'sus  replied  not,  but  took  him  by  the  hands,  lifted  him 
to  his  feet,  and  gave  him  to  the  father  sound  and  well. 

"As  they  journeyed  south  toward  home,  the  nine  A-pos'tles 
asked  Je'sus  why  it  was  that  they  had  failed  to  accomplish  the 
cure?  Je'sus  said,  'Because  of  your  unbelief.  If  you  believe 
in  God  nothing  is  impossible.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXV 

What  did  Jesus  see  on  coming  down  from  the  mountain? 

What  did  the  crowd  do  when  they  saw  Jesus? 

What  did  a  man  tell  Jesus? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  the  father  of  the  sick  boy? 

What  did  Jesus  do  when  the  boy  came? 

What  did  the  apostles  ask  Jesus,  and  what  did  Jesus  answer? 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE  MONEY  IN  THE  FISHES  MOUTH 

Afternoon  Lesson 

Uncle  John  told  the  children  during  the  week  that  he  was 
going  to  talk  about  fish  at  the  next  lesson,  so  naturally  they 
came  with  much  expectancy.  They  thought  they  were  to  hear 
about  the  big  catch  of  fish,  or  possibly  about  the  kinds  of  fish 
that  existed  and  where  they  were  found. 

Uncle  John  knew  what  they  had  been  talldng  about  so  he 
said:  "Well,  now,  my  dears,  I  don't  want  you  to  be  disap- 
pointed to-day,  but  we  are  not  going  to  have  the  kind  of  fish 
story  that  you  think  we  are.  Our  story  is  about  just  one  fish, 
and  you  will  hke  the  story,  for  it  paid  a  tax  imposed  upon 
Je'sus. 

"Every  man  in  Je'sus'  time  paid  a  personal  tax  each  year 
when  he  reached  a  certain  age.  Men  do  the  same  thing  in  this 
country  when  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  that 
is,  provided  they  have  lived  in  the  same  district  a  year  or  more. 
In  some  places  in  A-mer'i-ca  the  tax  is  higher  than  in  others, 
but  generally  ranges  from  $1.00  up. 

"Je'sus'  mother  now  lived  at  Ca-per'na-um,  so  this  place 
was  His  home  more  than  any  other  place.  He  had,  however, 
been  away  from  Ca-per'na-um  much  of  the  time  and  His  friends 
were  surprised  that  He  should  be  taxed,  and  in  fact,  did  not 
know  until  the  tax  collector  came  to  Pe'ter  one  day,  asking  him 
whether  Je'sus  intended  to  pay  His  tax.  It  was  not  just  busi- 
nes*slike  to  mention  it  to  Pe'ter,  but  the  officers  stood  a  good 
deal  in  awe  of  Je'sus,  and  probably  did  not  like  to  approach 
Him  on  the  subject. 

"Well,  Pe'ter,  who  was  always  anxious  that  the  citizens 
should  find  Je'sus  ready  to  pay  any  and  all  obligations  to  the 
Gov'em-ment,  said,  *Yes,  Je'sus  will  pay  it.' 

145 


146 


Money  in  the  Fish's  Mouth 


"Shortly  after  this  conversation  of  Pe'ter's  with  the  col- 
lector, he  told  Je'sus  of  his  conversation  with  the  officer. 

"Now  Je'sus,  too,  was  somewhat  surprised  and  so  said  to 
Pe'ter:     'The  children  of  Kings  do  not  pay  taxes,  neither  do 

prophets  or  ministers, 
and  as  we  are  the  chil- 
dren of  the  great  King — 
the  Father  in  Heaven— 
we  are  exempt  from  pay- 
ing a  tax.  But,'  added 
Je'sus,  'since  you  have 
promised  it  without  my 
knowledge,  Pe'ter,  I  de- 
sire you  to  keep  yoiu* 
word.' 

"Now  the  only  way 
that  Pe'ter  had  to  earn 
money  was  by  fishing. 
He  was,  as  you  remem- 
ber, a  fisherman  by  trade. 
So  Je'sus  sent  Pe'ter  out 
in  the  boat  into  the  sea  to 
earn  the  money. 

"Pe'ter  went  out,  and 
cast  his  line  and  drew  in  a 
fish.  In  the  mouth  of  the 
fish,  we  are  told,  he  found 
a  piece  of  money,  just  the 
amount  that  was  needed  for  the  tax,  fifty  cents. 

"This  finding  of  the  money  in  the  fish's  mouth  may  have 
been  intended  for  a  miracle,  yet  it  may  be  that  Pe'ter  sold  the 
fish  for  fifty  cents,  enough  to  pay  the  tax.  The  Bible  does 
not  always  explain  everything  in  detail.     But  we  maj^  be  sure, 


^E%                                        :***•     ■* 

Ki 

mk     g§       #    ^^^/Em^ ''      flr      ^^ 

^Wf'lf?. 

m  It 

^K^amM^^^^^^L 

4 

^f^^^m^^H 

<< 

H^43l^8J^i5^^V«'',,.W-  '^-"^*-  '  '•'■'hSM^KK^^ 

TEIBUTE   MONEY. 


Money  in  the  Fish's  Mouth  147 

first,  last  and  always,  that  whether  tlie  silver  was  found  in  the 
fish's  mouth,  or  whether  the  fish  was  sold  for  that  amount  of 
money,  it  was  all  the  same  in  accomplishing  the  purpose." 

"That,"  said  Pau-line^  "was  just  like  Je'sus,  not  to  quarrel 
about  His  taxes,  and  yet  it  wasn't  right  that  He  should  pay 
taxes  was  it.  Uncle  John,  for  He  was  a  preacher,  and  preachers 
should  be  excused."  "I  guess,"  said  Paul,  "that  it  was  because 
He  went  about  it  so  cheerfully,  that  God  helped  him  in  doing 
it  the  easiest  and  most  natural  way." 

Here  the  lesson  ended  as  all  these  lessons  did,  when  the 
children  were  hungry  for  more. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXVI 

What  is  this  story  about? 

What  did  this  particular  fish  do  for  Jesus? 

What  did  the  tax  collector  ask  Peter  ? 

How  did  Peter  answer  him? 

Whom  did  Peter  tell  about  this  conversation? 

What  did  Jesus  answer  him? 

What  way  did  Peter  have  to  earn  money? 

Why  could  Peter  earn  money  in  only  one  way? 

What  did  Peter  do? 

Was  the  money  really  found  in  the  fish's  mouth? 

What  did  Pauline  and  Paul  say  about  Jesus  paying  taxes? 


EXISTING  WALLS  OF  JERUSALEM— NUllTHWEST  SIDE. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

je'sus  at  the  feast  of  the  tabernacles 
Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  May 

"To-day,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  the  class  sat  down  before 
the  open  window,  "we  are  going  to  talk  about  the  Feast  of  the 
Tab'er-na-cles,  an  occasion  held  once  a  year  at  Je-ru^sa-lem, 
lasting  several  days. 

"This  feast  was  the  most  happy  of  all  the  feasts  held  by  the 
Jews,  and  it  drew  great  crowds  to  Je-ru'sa-lem.  Friends  jour- 
neyed together  much  as  they  did  when  going  to  the  Feast  of  the 
Pass'over. 

"By  the  way,"  said  Uncle  John,  "who  can  tell  me  first,  what 
the  Feast  of  the  Pass'over  commemorated?"  "It  was  in  re- 
membrance of  God's  goodness  in  helping  the  children  of  Is'ra-el 
to  go  out  of  the  land  of  E'gypt  to  the  promised  land,"  said 
Paul,  before  Pau-line'  had  time  to  get  a  word  in  edgewise. 

"Yes,  that  is  right,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  tell  me  Pau-line^ 
did  God  do  this,  and  why  is  it  called  the  Feast  of  the  Pass'over?" 

148 


Je'sus  at  the  Feast  149 

"Because,"  said  Pau-line',  "the  king  of  Egypt  would  not 
let  the  Is'ra-el-ites  go,  so  God  told  Mouses  that  He  would  send 
an  angel  to  slay  the  first-born  in  every  house  where  there  was 
no  blood  on  the  door  post.  This  blood  was  to  be  a  sign  that  the 
angel  was  to  pass  over  that  house.  So  the  children  of  Is'ra-el 
put  blood  on  the  door  posts  and  were  saved." 

"You  are  an  apt  pupil,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Now  this  feast 
we  are  to  talk  about  to-day — the  Feast  of  the  Tab'er-na'cles, 
was  kept  for  two  reasons:  First,  to  keej)  in  memory  the  march 
of  the  children  of  Is'ra-el  from  E'gypt  to  the  Holy  Land; 
second,  to  thank  God  for  the  harvests,  a  feast  much  like  our 
Thanks-giv'ing,  only  bigger  and  of  longer  duration. 

"On  the  last  day  of  this  week,  the  people  celebrated  what 
was  termed  the  'Drawdng  of  Water,'  a  ceremonj'-  performed  by 
the  High  Priest  and  all  the  people.  They  first  went  to  the  Pool 
of  Si-lo'am,  filled  hollow  logs  with  water  and  carried  them  to 
the  Tem'ple. 

"On  each  side  of  the  Tem'ple  was  a  silver  tube.  Into  one 
of  these  the  water  was  poured,  into  the  other  some  wine,  both 
of  which  run  out  into  the  ground  as  an  offering  to  God.  Fol- 
lowing this  act  the  people  sang  psalms  and  waved  branches  of 
trees. 

"Well,  when  the  relatives  and  friends  of  Je'sus  were  get- 
ting ready  for  this  festival,  they  inquired  of  Je'sus,  if  He  were 
not  going  up  to  perform  miracles  before  the  crowds  in  Je-ru'- 
sa-lem,  saying,  it  would  help  him  in  becoming  the  great  man 
of  the  nation. 

" Je'sus  told  him  He  did  not  seek  notoriety. 

"Now  when  the  Jews  from  all  nations  were  assembled  at 
the  temple  many  spoke  of  Je'sus,  wondering  if  He  would  come; 
in  fact,  the  great  subject  of  conversation  at  the  festival,  was, 
the  wonderful  works  He  had  perfoimed. 

"One  day  in  the  midst  of  the  feast,  Je'sus  walked  in.     No 


150  Je'sus  at  the  Feast 

one  had  seen  him  come,  and  no  one  seemed  to  know  by  what 
road  he  had  travelled;  in  fact,  they  had  given  up  the  thought 
that  He  would  be  present. 

"Just  after  the  Drawing  of  the  Water,'  Je'sus  talked  at 
some  length  to  the  people,  saying,  among  other  things,  "All 
that  come  unto  me,  I  will  give  of  the  fountain  of  living  waters.' 

"When  the  rulers  learned  that  Je'sus  was  in  the  city  and 
that  He  was  still  teaching  the  people  this  new  doctrine  of  sal- 
vation, they  sent  soldiers  to  the  Tem'ple  to  arrest  Him.  The 
officers  came  as  they  were  bidden,  but  being  so  much  touched 
by  Je'sus'  looks  and  what  He  taught,  they  went  back  without 
performing  their  duty. 

"When  the  rulers  saw  the  officers  without  Je'sus,  they  asked 
why  they  had  not  brought  Him  and  they  replied,  'Man  never 
before  spake  like  this  man.' 

"Then  the  rulers  began  to  argue  among  themselves  about 
Je'sus.  Nic-o-de'mus,  one  of  the  number,  finally  in  defense 
asked  if  any  man  ought  to  be  convicted  before  He  was  given 
an  opportunity  to  defend  himself. 

"This  was  more  than  the  Council  could  stand,  and  the  meet- 
ing broke  up  in  great  disorder." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXVII 

What  feast  did  Uncle  John  talk  about? 

Tell  about  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacle. 

What  did  Paul  say  about  the  Feast  of  the  Passover.'' 

What  did  Pauline  say? 

Why  did  Uncle  John  say  they  kept  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacle.? 

What  did  the  people  do  on  the  last  day  of  the  feast? 

What  did  the  relatives  and  friends  of  Jesus  tell  him  to  do? 

How  did  Jesus  answer? 

What  did  the  people  talk  about  at  the  feast  this  year? 

Tell  about  Jesus  walking  into  the  midst  of  the  feast. 

What  did  he  say  to  the  people? 

What  did  the  rulers  do  when  they  heard  Jesus  was  in  Jerusalem? 

What  did  the  officers  do? 

[What  did  the  rulers  do  when  the  officers  came  back  without  Jesus? 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 


THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND 

Afternoon  Lesson 

The  sun  was  just  peeping  a  farewell  through  the  window  as 
t)ie  class  convened  for  the  afternoon  and  Uncle  John  said:  "We 
are  to  spend  this  glorious  Sab'bath  afternoon  talking  about  one 
of  Je'sus'  Sab'bath  days. 

"To-day  we  find  Him  still  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  where  He  and 
His  A-pos'tles  went  to  the  feast. 

"While  there,  they  saw  a  beggar,  blind  from  birth,  just  out- 
side the  Tem'ple  at  the  roadside. 

"Seeing  that  he  was  unable  to  work  and  that  he  had  missed 

many  of  the  joys  of 
life,  the  A-pos'tles 
asked  Je'sus :  'Who 
did  sin,  this  man  or  his 
parents,  that  he  should 
be  born  blind?' 

"It  did  not  take  Je'- 
sus  long  to  answer  the 
question.  He  showed 
His  A-pos'tles  and  all 
the  world  that  a  per- 
son is  not  a  sinner, 
simply  because  he  is 
unfortunate,  whether 
BATTLEMENTS  -  ^  ^'.  "^R^  from    birth    or    other- 

UPON  ROOFS  i  \^'"^  J 

—JERUSALEM.  ^  wisC. 

"T  h  e  A-pos'tles 
wanted  to  talk  this  subject  over  on  various  occasions,  but  Je'sus' 
answer  was  always  the  same. 

151 


152  The  Man  Bor7i  Blind 

"Je'sus  said,  however,  'since  we  have  found  this  man  blind, 
let  us  show  God's  love  by  giving  him  his  sight.' 

"Je'sus  then  took  some  earth  from  the  roadside,  spat  upon 
it,  made  it  into  clay,  and  put  it  on  the  eyes  of  the  blind  man. 
He  then  told  him  to  go  and  wash  in  the  Pool  of  Si-lo'am.  The 
man  did  so,  and  was  immediately  made  to  see. 

"This  cure  caused  great  joy  in  the  blind  man's  home,  but 
when  the  rulers  of  the  city  heard  of  it,  they  came  and  asked  the 
man  who  it  was  that  had  healed  him,  saying:  'The  healer  must 
be  a  law-breaker,  because  he  has  done  this  work  on  the  Sab'bath 
day.'  The  man  said:  'I  do  not  think  so,  although  I  do  not 
know  who  he  was,  because  God  does  not  give  law-breakers 
power  to  heal  those  blind  from  birth.  He  must  be  a  good  and 
just  man.' 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

What  are  they  going  to  talk  about  this  Sabbath? 

Tell  about  the  blind  man  sitting  by  the  roadside. 

What  question  did  the  disciples  ask  Jesus  about  him? 

What  did  Jesus  say? 

What  did  he  next  do  and  what  happened? 

What  did  the  bhnd  man's  home  folks  think  of  it? 

What  did  the  rulers  do  when  they  heard  of  it? 

What  did  the  blind  man  say? 

What  did  they  do  with  the  blind  man? 

When  Jesus  heard  of  it  what  did  he  do? 

What  did  the  blind  man  say  and  do? 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

FAREWELL  TO  GAL'I-LEE 

Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  May 

"This  morning,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  the  class  grouped 
itself  about  him,  "we  are  to  talk  about  the  SaVior's  last  work 
on  this  earth. 

"At  the  time  our  lesson  opens,  Je'sus  and  His  A-pos'tles 
are  again  at  Ca-per'na-um,  and  down  by  the  shore  of  the  Sea 
of  Gal'i-lee. 

"Doubtless  He  had  come  here  for  a  farewell  talk  with  His 
A-pos'tles  before  leaving  Ca-per'na-um  forever.  He  was  sad 
and  thoughtful.  Whilst  looking  at  the  shadows  of  the  city  in 
the  water,  He  told  the  A-pos'tles  that  the  cities  bordering  the 
Sea  of  Gall-lee  would  some  day  pass  away." 

"Is  that  true  Uncle  John?"  asked  Paul.  "Yes,  His  words 
were  most  prophetic,"  said  Uncle  John,  "for  not  one  of  those 
cities  remains  to-day.  The  ruins  even  are  covered  up,  and  no 
one  knows  for  a  certainty  where  they  stood. 

"After  this  prophecy,  Je'sus  planned  with  His  A-pos'tles 
a  final  visit  to  Je-ru'sa-lem.  He  selected  from  among  His 
workers,  seventy  men,  and  sent  them  two  by  two,  into  the  towns 
ahead  of  Him,  not  only  in  GaFi-lee  but  in  Sa-ma'ri-a,  to  preach 
the  gospel. 

"On  these  various  journeys  through  Gal'i-lee,  the  seventy 
created  great  enthusiasm,  crowds  following  wherever  they  went. 

"When  they  reached  Sa-ma'ri-a  it  was  different.  Can  any 
one  tell  me  why?"  asked  Uncle  John.  "That,"  said  Paul,  "is 
because  the  Sa-mar'i-tans  and  the  Jews  had  for  years  been  un- 
friendly, on  account  of  the  difference  in  religious  views." 
"Right  my  boy,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  on  a  former  occasion, 
when  Je'sus,  although  a  Jew,  passed  through  Sa-ma'ri-a,  the 
people,  you  remember,  invited  Him  to  stop  Mdth  them  several 

153 


154 


Farewell  to  GaVi-lee 


daj^s.  Now,  however,  that  He  was  going  up  to  Je-ru'sa-lem 
M'ith  great  crowds  following,  they  were  jealous  and  refused 
even  food  and  lodging  to  the  disciples. 

"This  treatment  made  two  of  the  disciples,  James  and  John, 
indignant.  James  and  John  were  brothers  and  usually  kind 
men,  but  on  this  occasion,  they  asked  Je'sus  to  call  down  fire 
from  Heaven  and  destroy  these  people. 


SEA  OF  GALILEE— TIBERIAS. 


"I  suppose,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  the  idea  of  fire  came 
into  their  minds  from  an  incident  in  the  life  of  the  Prophet 
E-li'jah,  who  called  down  fire  from  Heav'en  to  prove  that  God 
was  greater  than  an  idol  by  the  name  of  Ba'al.  This  act  of 
E-li' jail's  occurred  many  years  previous,  but  it  occurred  in 
Sa-ma'ri-a,  and  doubtless  on  this  account,  came  to  the  mind  of 
James  and  John  at  this  time." 

"I  think,"  whispered  one  of  the  children  to  another  present, 
"that  it  M^ould  have  served  those  Sa-mai-^i-tans  right."  "Oh, 
no,  not  right,  dear  child,"  said  Uncle  John,  who  overheard  the 


Farewell  to  GaVi-lee  155 

remark.  "Je'sus  has  taught  us  a  better  waj .  Can  you  tell  me, 
Pau-line',  what  that  better  way  is?"  "I  think,"  said  Pau-line', 
''Je'sus  would  have  us  love  them  into  better  things." 

The  children  were  somewhat  divided  in  their  opinion,  but 
Uncle  John  said,  "Let's  see  what  Je'sus  did. 

"Well,  Je'sus  was  very  weary  and  hungry,  but  He  said 
to  James  and  John,  that  God  was  the  Father  of  the  Sa-mar'i- 
tan  as  well  as  the  Jew;  that  all  were  God's  children;  that  they 
must  not  call  down  fire,  but  love  the  people  into  something  better. 

"We  have  no  account,"  said  Uncle  John,  "of  where  Je'sus 
or  the  A-pos'tles  slept  that  night,  nor  where  they  obtained  food, 
but  we  may  be  sure  that  God  provided  for  all  their  needs." 

"The  rulers  were  displeased  with  what  seemed  to  them  ob- 
stinacy, so  they  turned  him  out  of  the  church. 

"When  Je'sus  heard  of  it,  He  sought  the  man  out,  saying, 
'Dost  thou  believe  on  the  Son  of  God?'  Having  never  looked 
before  upon  Je'sus,  he  did  not  know  that  it  was  Je'sus  who  stood 
before  him;  yet  His  face  and  manner  so  impressed  him  that  he 
said:  'Who  is  He,  Lord,  that  I  may  believe  on  Him?'  Je'sus 
then  revealed  His  identity,  and  the  man  said,  'Lord,  I  believe.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XXXIX 

What  are  we  to  talk  about  this  morning? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  his  apostles? 

Did  this  prophecy  come  true? 

Whom  did  Jesus  select  and  send  to  preach  tlie  gospel? 

How  were  they  received  in  Galilee? 

Why  were  they  not  well  received  in  Samaria? 

How  had  the  Samaritan  treated  Jesus  on  a  former  occasion? 

Why  didn't  he  want  him  to  stop  now? 

What  did  James  and  John  ask  Jesus  to  do? 

What  did  one  of  the  children  say? 

What  did  Pauline  say  Jesus  would  have  us  to  do? 

What  did  Jesus  really  do? 

What  did  Jesus  answer? 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  HEALING   OF  THE   LEPERS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

Paul  and  several  other  cliildren  couldn't  become  reconciled 
to  the  manner  in  which  Je'sus  treated  the  Sa-mar'i-tans.  He 
was  incHned  to  think  that  James  and  John  were  justified  in 
their  wish  to  punish  them.  Uncle  John  smiled,  saying,  "Dear 
children,  I,  too,  used  to  think  that  way  when  I  was  a  child,  but 
I  have  learned  from  experience  that  Je'sus'  way  is  the  best. 

"The  Sa-mar'i-tans  did  wrong,  but  they  were  provoked,  and 
none  of  us  do  just  right  when  we  are  angry.  Je'sus  alone  was 
I'ight,  and  maybe  you,  too,  mil  change  your  minds  when  we 
have  finished  our  story. 

"After  tliis  trouble  with  the  Sa-mai-'i-tans,  Je'sus  changed 
His  route.  Instead  of  passing  directly  through  Sa-ma'ri-a,  He 
went  farther  east  along  the  border  so  as  to  avoid  discord.  You 
may  be  assured,  however,  that  there  were  some  Sa-mar'i-tans 
with  others  who  followed  after  Je'sus.  The  sick,  the  lame  and 
the  blind,  had  no  desire  to  be  angry,  they  only  wanted  to  be 
healed. 

"On  one  occasion  Je'sus  healed  ten  lepers.  Tell  me,  Paul, 
what  is  leprosy,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Leprosy,"  said  Paul,  "is 
a  terrible  disease.  It  could  not  then,  as  it  cannot  now,  be  healed 
by  physicians.  Whoever  had  this  dread  disease  was  compelled 
to  live  outside  of  the  towns,  as  they  are  to-day  compelled  to  live 
in  isolated  places." 

''Right  again,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Well,  these  lepers  had 
heard  of  Je'sus'  wonderful  cures  and  so  asked  Him  to  heal  them. 
Je'sus  never  turned  anyone  away,  whether  friendly  or  other- 
wise, so  healed  them  all.  They  who  were  healed  ran  off  to  their 
homes.  We  cannot  say  they  forgot  Je'sus,  for  that  they  could 
not  do;  but  everything  for  a  time  was  forgotten  in  their  desire 

156 


Healing  the  Lepers  157 

to  see  their  loved  ones,  so  they  kept  on  going,  running,  shouting 
and  leaping  for  joy. 

"After  awhile  one  of  them  remembered  that  he  had  not 
thanked  Je'sus.  Should  he  go  on  toward  his  home,  or  should 
he  turn  back? 

"Suddenly  it  came  to  him,  that  he  ought  to  be  grateful 
enough  to  go  back  and  tell  the  SaVior  how  thankful  he  was,  so 
he  went  back,  running  faster,  if  possible,  than  before,  and  ac- 
knowledged his  gratitude. 

"Je'sus  did  not  answer  him  at  first,  but  turned  to  His  A-pos'- 
tles  saying:  'Were  there  not  ten  lepers  cleansed?  Where  are 
tlie  other  nine?  One  alone  has  come  back  to  give  thanks  and 
lie  is  not  our  countryman,  but  a  Sa-mar'i-tan/ 

"Je'sus  then  turned  to  this  stranger  whose  body  he  had 
healed,  and  blessed  him,  a  Sa-mar'i-tan." 

"I  see  now,"  said  Paul,  "that  Je'sus'  way  was  best." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XL 

What  did  Jesus  do  after  having  trouble  with  the  Samaritans? 

Who  followed  after  Jesus? 

What  wonderful  thing  did  Jesus  do  for  the  leper? 

What  is  leprosy? 

Where  did  a  leper  have  to  live? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  his  disciples? 

What  did  the  lepers  ask  Jesus? 

What  did  the  lepers  do  after  they  were  healed? 

What  did  one  of  them  remember,  and  what  did  he  do  ? 

What  did  Jesus  do  for  the  leper? 


CHAPTER  XLI 

EATING   BREAD   IN    HEAVEN 

Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  May 

"Our  lesson  this  morning,"  said  Uncle  John,  "is  about  a 
heavenly  feast.  Je'sus'  desire  was  to  help  all  people,  old  and 
young,  rich  and  poor.  We  find  Him  still  traveling  toward 
Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"In  some  of  the  towns  through  which  He  passed,  the  lead- 
ing men  desired  to  find  out  more  fully  what  He  thought  re- 
garding Heav'en,  and  if  possible  find  fault  with  His  views.  For 
this  purpose  He  was  invited  to  dine  with  them.  Je'sus  invari- 
ably accepted.  He  could  always  read  people's  thoughts,  so 
when  called  upon  to  talk  He  spoke  plainly.  He  was  always 
kind,  yet  never  failed  to  jioint  out  the  better  way.  Among 
other  things,  He  commented  upon  the  method  they  had  of  se- 
lecting for  themselves,  the  most  honorable, seats  at  the  table,  and 
endeavored  to  show  them,  that  there  was  a  better  way,  the  way 
of  true  politeness  on  earth,  and  the  way  of  God's  Kingdom  in 
Heav'en. 

"He  also  commented  on  the  fact  that  their  feasts  were  made 
for  one  another,  and  in  this  respect  were  selfish.  Recalling  at 
this  point,  the  poor  man  whom  He  had  just  healed  of  the  dropsy, 
and  whom  they  permitted  to  go  away  without  an  invitation  to 
eat,  He  remarked,  that  if  they  would  invite  the  poor  to  eat  with 
them,  God  would  recompense  them. 

"Evidently  the  guests  did  not  like  this,  for  one  of  the  men 
present  said,  'Blessed  are  they  who  eat  bread  in  the  Kingdom 
of  Heav'en.'  Now,  that  was  a  veiy  pretty  sajang,  but  I  fear," 
said  Uncle  John,  "that  the  man  did  not  mean  it,  for  Je'sus, 
reading  his  thoughts,  told  them  in  a  parable  just  who  would  sit 
down  at  the  feast  in  the  Heavenly  Kingdom. 

"It  was  as  follows:     Once  there  was  a  king  who  sent  out 

158 


Eating  Bread  in  Heaven  159 

invitations  to  a  feast.  Those  who  receixed  them,  said  they  eould 
not  go  and  sent  excuses.  One  had  business,  another  had  a  yoke 
of  oxen,  another  had  just  married,  and  so  on.  Now,  wlien  the 
king  saw  that  the  invited  guests  did  not  come,  he  called  his  ser- 
vants and  said,  'You  see  the  tables  are  spread  for  guests,  but 
they  have  told  me  that  they  are  too  busy  to  come.  Now  I  want 
you  to  go  to  the  streets,  the  lanes  and  byways,  and  invite  in  the 
beggars,  the  blind,  the  halt,  the  lame,  the  deaf,  the  dumb  and 
the  sick.' 

"So  the  servants  invited  the  blind,  deaf,  dumb,  and  the  sick 
to  tlie  feast.  The  king's  table  was  now  filled  with  the  most 
grateful  people  in  the  world. 

"  'So,'  said  Je'sus,  'if  you  will  go  out  and  gather  into  your 
feast  those  who  cannot  give  you  feasts  in  return,  you  will  be 
eating  bread  in  God's  Kingdom.' 

"And  that  is  true,  isn't  it?"  said  Pau-line^  "I  am  only  a 
little  girl,  but  I  know  what  it  means  to  have  the  poor  sit  down 
to  eat  with  me.  It  makes  me  so  happy  to  invite  them,"  "and 
me  so  happy  to  accept,"  said  Bes'sie  White. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XLI 

What  is  our  lesson  about  this  morning? 

What  did  the  leading  men  want  to  find  out,  and  why? 

What  lesson  did  Jesus  give  them  at  the  feast? 

What  did  he  say  about  inviting  the  poor  to  eat  with  them? 

What  parable  did  Jesus  tell  them? 

Why  could  not  one  man  come? 

Why  could  not  another  come? 

What  did  the  king  do  when  the  guests  refused  to  come? 

How  did  the  poor  people  who  came  feel? 

What  did  Jesus  say? 


CHAPTER  XLll 

Di'VES  AND  LAZ'a-RUS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Je'sus,  who  is  still  with  the  Phar'i-sees,  talked  much  about 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  He  told  them,  among  other  things, 
that  the  love  of  money  interfered  with  the  love  of  heaven. 

"He  did  not  say  that  wealth  was  evil,  nor  could  He  have 
thought  that,  for  the  family  He  loved  most  and  the  home  He 
visited  most  often  was  a  home  of  wealth,  yet  He  did  say:  'No 
servant  can  serve  two  masters,  for  either  He  will  hate  the  one 
and  love  the  other,  or  else  he  will  hold  to  the  one  and  despise  the 
other.     Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  Mam'mon.' 

"When  Je'sus  said  this,  some  of  the  men  present  laughed 
in  derision.  Je'sus  then  told  them  the  following  parable: 
'There  was  a  beggar  in  a  certain  city  whose  name  was  Laz'a-rus. 
It  was  his  custom  to  go  and  lay  at  the  gate  of  a  certain  rich  man, 
and  there  wait  for  such  scraps  as  might  fall  from  his  table.  The 
beggar  was  homeless,  and  after  awhile  died.  No  one  attended 
his  funeral,  yet  he  was  not  forgotten  for  the  angels  carried  him 
to  heaven  and  there  A'bra-ham,  the  father  of  the  Jew'ish  race, 
put  his  arms  about  him  and  pressed  him  to  his  bosom. 

"  'Now,'  continued  Je'sus,  'there  was  a  certain  rich  man  by 
the  name  of  DiVes,  who  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  fine  linen, 
and  who  fared  sumptuously  and  had  many  friends.  After 
awhile  he  died  and  many  people  attended  his  funeral,  and  a 
great  crowd  assembled  at  his  tomb.  But  he  had  been  so  occupied 
with  business,  that  God  nor  the  angels  had  not  come  into  his 
life,  hence  he  did  not  go  to  heaven,  but  to  a  place  where  he  was 
in  torment.  He  was  now  sorry  he  had  loved  the  world  more 
than  heaven. 

"  'Whilst  in  this  place  of  torment,  Di'ves  thought  of  the 
brothers  who  were  still  on  earth,  living  just  such  a  life  as  he  had 

160 


Di'ves  and  Laz'a-rus  161 

lived.  He  asked  A'bra-ham  from  afar  oiF  to  send  some  one  to 
warn  them  of  their  error. 

"  'A'bra-ham  said,  "If  they  will  not  believe  the  Bi'ble  and 
follow  its  teachings,  neither  will  they  believe,  even  though 
Laz'a-rus  should  return  from  the  dead  and  tell  them." 

"  'Now  Di'ves,  looking  into  heaven,  and  seeing  Laz'a-rus 
the  beggar,  whom  he  had  ignored  on  earth,  said  to  A'bra-ham: 
"I  wish  you  would  allow  Laz'a-ms  to  come  and  minister  to  me, 
for  I  am  in  great  need." 

"  'A'bra-ham  said,  "My  son,  when  you  were  on  earth  you 
had  many  good  things  and  Laz'a-rus  poor  things.  Now  it  is 
reversed,  you  have  your  sorrow  and  Laz'a-rus  his  joy." 

"That,"  said  Pau-line',  "is  just  my  idea  of  heaven — a  place 
for  the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich."    "Yes,"  said  Uncle  John. 

"The  Phar'i-sees  knew  that  the  words  of  Je'sus  were  true, 
yet  they  hated  His  influence  upon  the  people.  More  and  more 
they  tried  to  find  fault  with  Him,  hoping  that  He  might  be 
prevented  from  impressing  these  lessons  upon  the  multitudes." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XLII 

What  did  Jesus  say  about  the  love  of  money  ? 
What  did  he  say  about  a  servant  serving  two  masters.? 
What  parable  did  Jesus  tell  those  who  laughed  at  him? 
Who  was  the  poor  man  in  the  parable? 
Where  did  he  go  when  he  died? 

What  was  the  name  of  the  rich  man  in  the  parable,  and  where  did  he 
go? 

Of  whom  did  Dives  think  when  he  was  in  torment? 

What  did  he  ask? 

What  did  Abraham  say? 

What  did  he  ask  Abraham  to  let  Lazarus  do  for  him? 

Whatdid  Abraham  say? 

Why  did  the  Pharisees  hate  Jesus  for  this  parable? 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

THE   GOOD   SA-MAR'I-TAN 

Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  June 

"You  remember,"  said  Uncle  John,  "our  last  lesson  was 
about  DiVes  and  Laz'a-rus.  To-day  we  find  Je'sus  still  jour- 
neying toward  Je-ru'sa-lem.     He  has  almost  reached  the  city. 

"On  the  way,  a  lawyer  came  up  and  asked  Je'sus  which  He 
considered  the  greatest  of  all  God's  commandments. 

"This  was  an  easy  question  for  Je'sus  to  answer,  but  desiring 
to  get  the  lawyer's  opinion.  He  replied,  as  He  often  did,  by 
asking  a  question:  'What  do  you  think  about  it?' 

"The  lawyer  said:  'I  consider  the  greatest  commandment 
to  be.  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself.'  'Do  tliis,'  said  Je'sus,  'and  thou  shalt 
live  forever.' 

"  'But,'  said  the  lawyer  to  Je'sus:  'Who  is  my  neighbor?' 
Je'sus  answered  him  in  His  characteristic  way  by  telling  a  story, 
the  story  of  the  'Good  Sa-mar'i-tan.' 

"This  story  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ever  told  to  any 
individual,  and  has  made  such  an  impression  upon  mankind, 
that  frequently  when  we  hear  of  any  one  doing  a  good  act  of 
charity,  we  say  of  that  person  he  is  a  'Good  Sa-mar'i-tan,'  mean- 
ing that  he  is  much  like  the  hero  of  the  story  Je'sus  told  the 
lawyer. 

"The  scene  of  the  story  is  laid  on  a  lonely  and  dangerous 
road  between  Je-ru'sa-lem  and  Jer'i-cho.  A  portion  of  the  road 
follows  a  rocky  gorge,  where  it  is  easy  for  robbers  to  hide  and 
surprise  travellers. 

"Je'sus  began  His  story  by  saying:  'A  certain  man  went 
down  from  Je-ru'sa-lem  to  Jer'i-cho  and  on  his  way  he  was  set 
upon  by  thieves.    They  not  only  robbed  him  of  his  raiment,  but 

162 


The  Good  Sa-mar'i-tan  163 

wounded  him  badly  and  left  him,  as  they  supposed,  dead  by  the 
roadside. 

"  'Now,  by  chance,  there  came  along  a  priest.  When  he  saw 
the  wounded  man,  he  passed  by  on  the  other  side. 

"  'After  awhile  a  LeVite — a  server  in  the  temple — came 
along.  When  he  saw  the  unconscious  form  of  the  traveller,  he 
went  and  looked  upon  him,  and  was  inclined  to  help  him,  but 
he,  too,  passed  on,  leaving  the  man  by  the  road. 

"  'After  awhile  a  Sa-mar'i-tan  came  along.  He  saw  at  a 
glance  that  the  wounded  man  was  a  Jew,  an  enemy  of  his  race, 
yet  he  went  to  him,  poured  oil  and  wine  in  his  wounds,  bound 
them  up,  placed  him  on  his  beast,  took  him  to  an  inn  and  cared 
for  him. 

"  'The  next  day  when  the  Sa-mar'i-tan  departed,  he  said  to 
the  landlord:  "I  do  not  know  this  man  I  have  brought  to  your 
place,  but  I  wish  you  to  give  him  good  care,  food,  shelter  and 
clothes.  I  leave  you  money  for  this  purpose.  I  think  it  is  suf- 
ficient, but  if  it  is  not,  on  my  return  I  will  pay  you  whatever 
is  due."  ' 

"When  Je'sus  had  finished  the  story.  He  said  to  the  lawyer: 
'Now  who  was  neighbor  to  him  that  fell  among  the  thieves?' 
The  la^\yer  replied,  'He  that  showed  mercy  on  him.'  Je'sus 
then  said,  'Go  thou  and  do  likewise.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XLIII 

Who  came  to  Jesus  on  his  way  to  Jcinisalem? 

What  question  did  Jesus  ask  him? 

What  did  the  lawyer  reply? 

Tell  of  the  story  of  the  good  Samaritan. 

What  did  the  priest  do  when  he  saw  the  wicked  man  ? 

What  did  the  Levite  do? 

What  did  the  Samaritan  do? 

Whom  did  the  lawyer  say  was  the  neighbor  to  the  wounded  man  ? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  him  to  do? 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

AT   REST   IN    BETH'a-NY 

Afternoon  Lesson 

All  during  the  day  Paul  and  Pau-line'  kept  referring  to  the 
Good  Sa-mar'i-tan.  Paul  said,  "he  thought  it  was  one  of  the 
best  stories  Je'sus  had  told,  in  fact,  it  had  made  such  an  impres- 
sion upon  him  that  he  showed  himself  a  good  Sa-mar'i-tan  by 
sending  many  good  things  to  eat,  and  a  few  out-grown  toys  to 
a  sick  little  fellow  down  the  road,  whom  he  had  for  special  rea- 
sons never  liked  very  well." 

When  the  afternoon  hour  came  Uncle  John  said:  "We  have 
now  come  to  Beth'a-ny,  nearly  the  end  of  Je'sus'  long  journey^ 
and  we  are  glad  to  find  Him  resting  with  Mar'tha,  Ma'ry  and 
Laz'a-rus,  two  sisters  and  a  brother,  old  friends  of  Je^sus.  We 
do  not  know  when  they  first  met,  nor  how  they  became  ac- 
quainted. 

"Beth'a-ny  is  a  suburb  of  Je-ru'sa-lem,  but  hidden  from  the 
city  by  the  Mount  of  OFives.  The  houses  nestle  down  in  the 
valley,  like  eggs  in  a  bird's  nest. 

"This  home  where  Je'sus  visited  was  one  of  wealth  and  com- 
fort. We  can  fancy  His  joy  on  reaching  it,  for  it  was  a  great 
contrast  to  the  homes  where  He  generally  stopped. 

"Mar'tha  was  the  oldest  of  the  three,  and  the  home  belonged 
to  her.  Both  sisters  were  good  housekeepers.  But  on  this  oc- 
casion, Ma'ry  did  not  seem  so  much  interested  in  the  household 
affairs  as  she  did  in  the  talk  with  Je'sus,  for  she  sat  down  to 
listen  to  Him. 

"JNIar'tha,  on  the  contrary,  considered  Je'sus  their  guest,  and 
that  it  was  better  to  care  for  His  physical  comforts  than  to 
listen  to  His  words,  before  the  preparations  for  entertainment 
were  complete. 

"So  when  she  saw  Ma'ry  quietly  sitting  at  Je'sus'  feet,  lis- 

164 


At  Rest  in  Beth' an  ij 


165 


tening  to  what  he  had  to  say,  she  said:  'Lord,  dost  Thou  not 
care  that  my  sister  hath  left  me  to  serve  alone?  Bid  her  there- 
fore that  she  help  me.' 

"Je'sus  saw  at  once  JMar'tha's  anxiety;  yet  He  knew  also 
jNIa'ry's  eagerness  for  truth,  so  He  said  playfully  but  sadly: 
'JNIar'tha,  JMar'tha,  you  are  very  busy  and  full  of  care,  yet  at 
this  time  there  is  but  one  needful  thing,  and  Ma'ry  has  chosen 
that  good  part  which  shall  not  be  taken  away  from  her.' 


JESUS  AT  THE  HOME  OF  MARY  AND  IMARTHA. 

"Je'sus  did  not  say  that  Ma'ry  was  better  than  Mar'tha,  but 
tried  to  impress  upon  her,  as  He  did  upon  all  whom  He  met, 
that  the  bread  from  heaven  was  tlie  bread  of  which  all  stood 
most  in  need. 

"This  remark  to  INIar'tha,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  what  we 
might  have  expected  from  Je'sus.  Yet,  I  suppose,  in  all  the 
world,  there  was  not  a  man  who  really  needed  good  food  and 
good  care,  more  than  did  our  Sa'vior  at  this  time." 


166 


At   Best   ill  Beth' a-ny 
QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XLIV 


How  did  Paul  try  to  play  the  good  Samaritan? 

What  town  did  Jesus'  journey  now  come  to? 

At  whose  house  was  Jesus? 

Who  was  the  oldest  one  in  the  house? 

What  did  Mary  do? 

What  did  Martha  do? 

What  did  Martha  ask  Mary  to  do? 

How  did  Jesus  answer  Martha? 

What  bread  did  Jesus  think  we  needed  most? 


DAMASCUS  FROxM  THE  EAST  GATE, 


CHAPTER  XLV 

A    WINTER   TIME    FEAST 

Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  June 

"Our  lesson  to-day  finds  Je'sus  still  visiting  at  the  home  of 
Ma'ry  and  Mar'tha  at  Beth'a-ny.  He,  no  doubt,  prolonged 
His  stay  in  order  to  attend  the  winter  festival  at  Je-ru'sa-lem." 

"You  say  winter,  was  it  cold  there.  Uncle  John?"  asked 
Paul.  "No,"  replied  Uncle  John.  "Still  they  have  what  they 
call  a  winter  season.  It  is  damp  and  the  people  feel  the  cold 
much  as  we  feel  it  March  and  No-vem'ber.  Well,  that  was  just 
about  the  kind  of  weather  they  had  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  when  Je'sus 
visited  Beth'a-ny  at  this  time. 

"Each  day  during  the  festival  Je'sus  walked  over  alone  to 
Je-ru'sa-lem  and  back  at  night. 

"This  festival  was  similar  to  the  others,  yet  it  was  for  a 
different  purpose.  It  was  known  as  the  Feast  of  Ded-i-ca'tion, 
called  by  some,  the  Feast  of  Lights.     It  was  to  the  Jews  what 


PANORAMA  OF  JERUSALEM. 
167 


A   Winter  Time  Feast  169 

the  Fourth  of  July  is  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  a  day 
of  national  rejoicing. 

"The  reason  for  its  celebration  was  this:  The  Jews  after 
their  march  from  E'gypt  under  Mo'ses,  came  into  possession 
of  all  of  the  territory  known  as  the  Holy  Land.  They  built 
their  temple  at  Je-ru'sa-lem,  hoping  to  worship  there  forever. 
Now  during  the  reign  of  a  certain  Syr'i-an  King,  Je-ru'sa-lem 
was  taken  from  them,  and,  in  fact,  the  entire  Jew'ish  nation  fell 
under  the  yoke  of  the  Syr'i-ans.  One  hundred  and  sixty-four 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ  a  man  by  the  name  of  Ju'das 
Mac-ca-ba'eus,  a  Jew,  with  his  soldiers  re-took  Je-ru'sa-lem, 
freed  his  people  and  re-dedicated  the  Tem'ple. 

"In  commemoration  of  the  re-capture  of  the  city,  these  win- 
ter-feast occasions  were  largely  attended.  The  city  was  beau- 
tifully illuminated  and  the  people  marched  in  procession,  car- 
rying branches  and  singing  the  Hal-le-lu'jah  Psalm.  Because 
of  its  illumination,  some  called  it  the  Feast  of  Lights,  and  be- 
cause of  its  re-dedication  others  called  it  the  Feast  of  Ded-i-ca'- 
tion,  either  name  was  appropriate. 

"During  this  feast,  on  the  occasion  mentioned  above,  Je'sus 
went  in  that  part  of  the  Tem'ple  called  Soro-mon's  Porch. 
Here  an  excited  lot  of  His  countrymen  came  to  Him,  asking 
if  He  were  the  Mes-si'ah. 

"Had  He  said  outright  that  He  was,  there  would  have  been 
an  uprising.  So  Je'sus,  hoping  to  turn  their  thoughts  in  another 
direction,  spoke  of  His  works  and  words.  But  the  people  would 
not  be  quieted.  They  wanted  Je'sus  to  free  them  from  the  Ro'- 
man  power;  but  Je'sus  would  not.  They  then  picked  up  stones 
to  hurl  at  Him.  Je'sus  looking  in  their  faces  asked,  'For  which 
one  of  my  good  works  do  you  stone  Me?'  They  answered,  'For 
a  good  work  we  stone  Thee  not,  but  for  Blas'phe-my,  and  be- 
cause Thou  being  a  man,  makest  thyself  God.'  Je'sus  then 
talked  to  them  about  the  wScrip'ture  and  His  Mis'sion  on  earth. 


170  A  Winter  Time  Feast 

Among  other  things  He  told  them  that  He  did  not  come  to 
build  an  earthly  kingdom,  but  to  build  the  King'dom  of  God. 
"They  again  rushed  to  stone  Him,  but  He  waved  them  back, 
and  stopped  still;  they  then  opened  a  passage,  and  He  passed 
out  of  the  crowd  and  walked  to  Beth'a-ny,  the  quiet  home  of 
Ma'ry,  INIar'tha  and  Laz'a-rus." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XLV 

Why  did  Jesus  wait  so  long  with  Lazarus  and  his  sisters  at  Bethany  ? 

How  did  Jesus  get  to  Jerusalem  and  back  home  at  night  ? 

What  feast  was  now  coming  on? 

What  holiday  in  the  U.  S.  was  this  Feast  of  Dedication  like? 

Tell  why  they  celebrated  the  Feast  of  Dedication. 

What  other  name  did  it  have,  and  why? 

What  did  they  ask  Jesus  on  Solomon's  porch? 

What  did  he  answer? 

When  they  wanted  to  stone  Jesus  what  did  he  ask  them? 

What  did  they  reply? 

What  did  Jesus  then  talk  to  them  about  ? 

Where  did  he  go  after  they  had  tried  to  stone  him? 


CHRIST   BLESSING    LITTLE    CHILDREN. 


FROM    PAINTING   BY    B.    PLOCKHURST. 


CHAPTER  XL VI 

THE   RICH    YOUNG   RULER 

Afternoon  Lesso7i 

"Je'sus  now  thought  it  best  to  leave  the  home  of  Ma'ry  and 
Mar'tha  for  a  time,  because  of  the  recent  feehng  at  Je-ru'sa- 
lem,  so  He  decided  to  go  to  another  Beth'a-ny  beyond  the  river 
Jor'dan. 

"How  long  He  remained  at  the  latter  place,  I  do  not  know. 
While  there  He  did  some  work  and  He  also  taught  the  A-pos'- 
tles  to  lean  more  and  more  upon  God  and  less  upon  Him. 

"After  a  time  He  went  back  to  Beth'a-ny  near  Je-ru'sa-lem. 
Before  His  departure,  however,  the  fathers  and  mothers  round 
about,  came  with  their  children  for  Je'sus  to  bless. 

"The  A-pos'tles  did  not  think  it  wise  for  Je'sus  to  be  dis- 
turbed nor  the  talks  interrupted,  so  they  endeavored  to  send 
the  mothers  away,  but  Je'sus  hearing  of  it  would  not  permit  it. 
He  went  out  and  took  the  children  in  His  arms  and  blessed 
them  saying:  'Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid 
them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' 

"When  Je'sus  had  blessed  the  children,  He  and  His  A-pos'- 
tles  started  on  their  return  journey. 

"They  had  not  gone  far  when  a  wealthy  young  man  seeing 
Je'sus,  went  up  to  Him,  saying:  'Good  Master,  what  shall  I 
do  to  inherit  eternal  life?'  Je'sus  said  to  him:  'Thou  knowest 
the  com-mand'ments.' 

"The  young  man  did  not  think  that  keeping  the  com- 
mand'ments  would  alone  give  him  eternal  life,  so  he  said  to 
Je'sus:  'What  sort  of  com-mand'ments ?' 

"Now  he  expected  Je'sus  would  give  him  some  new  and 
wonderful  com-mand'ment,  but  when  he  found  that  He  wanted 
him  to  keep  the  ten  com-mand'ments,  given  long  ago  by  God  to 

172 


174  The  Rich  Young  Ruler 

Mouses,  he  said:  'Why  I  have  kept  all  these  com-mand'ments 
from  the  time  that  I  was  a  little  boy  up  to  the  present  time.' 

"Je'sus  then  said  unto  him,  'One  thing  thou  lackest.  Go  thy 
way,  sell  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor  and  thou 
shalt  have  treasures  in  heaven.' 

"Now  the  young  man  had  great  possessions,  and  he  turned 
away  sorrowful.  As  he  went  Je'sus  said  to  His  A-pos'tles: 
'With  what  difficulty  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven.* 

"The  A-pos'tles  were  astonished  for  they  thought  of  the 
wealthy  people  whom  they  knew,  Ma'ry,  Mar'tha,  Laz'a-rus, 
Nic-o-de'mus  and  Jo'seph  of  Ar-ima-the'a,  whom  they  knew 
were  worthy  to  inherit  eternal  life,  so  they  said  to  Je'sus,  'If 
people  like  these  cannot  be  saved,  who  then  can  be  saved?'  Je'- 
sus  looked  at  them  with  surprise  and  said:  'With  men  it  is  im- 
possible, but  with  God  all  things  are  possible.'  " 

"I  suppose,"  said  Paul,  "that  this  young  man  was  trusting 
too  much  in  money,  and  so  Je'sus  called  his  attention  to  it."  "I 
have  no  doubt,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  this  was  true.  Wealth 
itself  does  not  keep  one  from  heaven,  provided  it  has  been  hon- 
estly earned.    It  is  the  wrong  use  which  is  made  of  it." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XL VI 

Why  did  Jesus  change  his  place  of  living? 
What  did  he  do  in  his  new  home? 
What  did  the  fathers  and  mothers  do? 
What  did  the  apostles  try  to  do? 
Tell  about  Jesus  blessing  the  children. 

Who  came  to  Jesus  as  they  went  away,  and  what  did  he  ask  ? 
What  did  the  young  man  say  he  had  done? 
What  did  Jesus  tell  him  he  must  yet  do? 

What  did  the  young  man  do,  and  what  did  Jesus  say  to  his  apostles  ? 
Of  what  rich  people  did  the  apostles  think,  and  what  did  they  ask 
Jesus  ? 

Should  wealth  keep  people  out  of  heaven  ? 


CHAPTER  XL VII 

THE  RAISING  OF  LAZ'a-RUS  FROM   THE   DEAD 

Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  June 

Paul  and  Pau-line'  went  away  for  a  few  days,  and  seeing 
Uncle  John  for  the  first  time  on  Sun'day  morning  said.  "We 
had  a  lovely  visit,  but  were  afraid  we  would  not  get  back  in 
time  for  one  lesson.  We  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  anything." 
thing." 

Uncle  John  was  pleased  and  said:  "It  is  well  you  returned  in 
time,  for  we  have  a  wonderful  lesson  to-day. 

"Je'sus  is  still  on  His  way  back  to  Beth'a-nj^,  but  stopped  at 
the  river  Jor'dan.  While  here  He  received  word  that  His  friend 
Laz'a-rus,  brother  of  JNIar'tha,  was  sick.  Je'sus  did  not  go  to 
him  at  once.  He  started,  but  stopped  on  the  way  two  days. 
Je'sus  loved  Laz'a-rus  as  an  own  brother,  and  ordinarily  would 
have  gone  to  him  at  once,  but  He  knew  that  He  could  raise  him 
even  though  dead,  and  He  wanted  to  test  the  faith  of  Ma'ry 
and  Mar'tha.  On  His  arrival  in  the  town,  Mar'tha  went  out  to 
meet  Him,  saying:  'Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here  my  brother 
would  not  have  died,  but  even  yet — '  She  did  not  finish  her 
sentence. 

"Her  grief  stopped  her,  or  else  her  faith  failed  her,  for  she 
was  going  to  say:  'But  I  know  that  even  now  if  thou  wilt,  thou 
canst  bring  my  brother  back  to  life.' 

"Je'sus  told  her  that  if  any  one  believed  in  Him,  they  should 
never  die,  and  asked  her  if  she  believed  this.  Mar'tha  said, 
'Lord  I  do  believe  that  my  brother  will  rise  on  the  last  day.' 

"But  Je'sus  wanted  something  better  than  that  from  INIar'- 
tha.  He  wanted  her  to  believe  that  He  could  save  her  brother 
now,  and  if  she  gave  Him  her  faith  He  could  do  it. 

*'So  Mar'tha  was  the  one  person  on  whom  Je'sus  could  rely 
for  faith,  to  save  Laz'a-rus,  and  she  gave  that  faith  saying:  'I 

175 


JESUS  RAISING  LAZARUS. 


Tlie  Raising  of  Laz'a-rus  177 

believe  that  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,'  which  meant,  'I  beheve 
you  can  raise  my  brother  from  the  dead.' 

"Mar'tha  then  went  to  the  house  and  aroused  Ma'ry  by  say- 
ing, Je'sus  is  calhng  for  you.  Then  Ma'ry  went  out  to  meet 
Je'sus  and  fell  down  at  His  feet  saying,  'Master  if  thou  hadst 
been  here  my  brother  had  not  died.' 

"As  the  family  was  wealthy  and  influential,  many  people 
were  at  the  home.  When  they  saw  Je'sus  they  said:  'Could  not 
this  man,  who  opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  have  saved  your 
brother?' 

"Je'sus  quietly  said,  'Where  did  you  lay  Laz'a-rus?'  Mar'- 
tha  replied,  'Lord  it  is  now  four  days  since  we  buried  him;  it 
would  be  useless  for  us  to  go  to  the  grave ;'  'but,'  said  Je^sus  in  a 
kind  sweet  way:  'Mar'tha  you  remember  our  conversation?  I 
said  if  you  would  only  believe,  everything  would  be  right.' 

"Mar'tha's  faith  then  came  back,  and  she  guided  Him  to  the 
tomb,  which  w^as  in  a  cave  with  a  stone  at  the  door. 

"Je'sus  told  the  men  to  roll  away  the  stone,  then  he  prayed: 
'Father,  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me,  and  I  know  that 
thou  hearest  me  always,  but  because  of  the  people  which  stand 
by  I  said  it,  that  they  may  believe  Thou  hast  sent  Me.' 

"When  He  had  thus  spoke.  He  cried  out  with  a  loud,  clear 
voice:  'Laz'a-rus,  come  forth.'  He  came  forth,  bound  hand  and 
foot  in  graveclothes,  and  his  face  was  covered  with  a  napkin. 
Je'sus  saith,  loose  him,  and  let  him  go." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XLVIT 

What  did  Martha  say  when  she  met  him  ? 

What  did  Jesus  say,  and  what  did  Martha  answer? 

What  did  INIary  say  to  Jesus? 

When  they  got  to  the  grave  what  did  Jesus  do? 

After  the  praj'er  what  wonderful  thing  happened? 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 

AT  JERICHO 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Uncle  John,"  said  Paul,  "I  am  glad  that  Mar'tha  had  such 
faith,  for  she  helped  Je'sus,  didn't  she?"  "Yes,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "she  had  much  to  do  with  it.  It  is  faith  that  works  mira- 
cles. 

"After  Laz'a-rus  was  raised  from  the  dead,  Je'sus  felt  that 
it  was  best  for  Him  to  leave  Beth'a-ny  and  go  away  for  a  short 
time.  He  knew  that  the  raising  of  Laz'a-rus  from  the  dead 
would  incite  His  enemies  to  end  His  life.  God  was  not  yet 
ready  for  Him  to  die,  so  He  went  to  escape  discord  and  excite- 
ment. 

"He  first  went  to  the  little  town  of  E'phra-im  at  the  junc- 
tion of  two  roads.  It  was  approaching  the  time  for  the  Feast 
of  the  Pass'over,  and  the  time  when  the  caravans  and  pilgrims 
began  to  pass.  After  a  little  while,  Je'sus,  with  His  A-pos'- 
tles,  joined  them  on  their  way  to  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

*'In  the  procession  was  Sa-lo'me,  the  mother  of  James  and 
John,  a  woman  of  wealth  and  influence,  having  connections 
with  the  great  families  in  Je-ru'sa-lem.  No  doubt  her  means 
were  often  given  to  sustain  Je'sus  and  His  A-pos'tles. 

"Sa-lo'me  went  to  Je'sus  on  the  journey,  and  asked  Him  to 
grant  her  two  favors. 

"Je'sus  said  unto  her,  'What  wilt  thou?'  She  saith  unto 
Him,  'Grant  that  these,  my  two  sons  may  sit,  the  one  on  thy 
right  hand,  and  the  other  on  thy  left,  in  Thy  kingdom.' 

"But  Je'sus  answered  and  said,  *Ye  know  not  what  ye  ask. 
Are  ye  able  to  drink  of  the  cup  that  I  shall  drink  of,  and  to  be 
baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am  baptized  with?'  They  say 
unto  Him,  'We  are  able.' 

"And  He  saith  unto  them,  'Ye  shall  drink  indeed  of  my 

178 


At  Jer'i-cho  179 

cup,  and  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am  baptized  with, 
but  to  sit  oil  my  right  hand,  and  on  my  left,  is  not  mine  to  give, 
but  it  shall  be  given  to  them  for  whom  it  is  prepared  of  my 
Father.' 

"They  were  now  near  the  town  of  Jer'i-cho.  The  air  was 
full  of  the  scent  of  roses,  and  the  palms  rose  high  in  the  air. 
Jer'i-cho  was  a  place  of  abundant  springs,  and  beautiful  to  look 
upon  at  this  time,  the  most  beautiful  spot  in  the  world.  Its 
climate  was  unequaled.     To-day  it  is  in  ruins. 

"Just  outside  the  city  were  two  blind  beggars,  one  by  the 
name  of  Bar-ti-mae'us,  the  other  we  do  not  know.  Hearing  the 
multitude  pass  by,  Bar-ti-mae'us  asked  what  it  meant.  Those 
standing  near  told  liim  that  Je'sus  of  Nazareth  was  passing  by. 
They  both  had  heard  of  Je'sus,  and  no  doubt  hoped  they  might 
liave  the  privilege  to  ask  Him  to  restore  their  sight,  so  they 
called  to  Je'sus.  The  people  tried  to  stop  them,  but  they  only 
cried  the  louder. 

"Je'sus  heard  them  and  said:  'Bring  them  to  me.'  When  He 
asked  what  they  wanted,  they  made  answer:  'Lord,  that  we  may 
receive  our  sight.'  Je'sus  healed  them,  and  they  followed  in 
the  crowd,  leaping  and  shouting  for  joy. 

"In  Jer'i-cho,"  said  Uncle  John,  "were  two  distinct  classes 
of  people,  the  priests  and  publicans."  "I  have  forgotten,"  said 
Pau-line',  "the  meaning  of  pub'li-cans."  "I  haven't,"  said  Paul. 
"Pub'li-cans  collected  taxes  for  the  Ro'man  government,  there- 
fore the  Jews  hated  them."     "Right,"  said  Uncle  John. 

"Well,  among  those  in  the  throng  was  a  publi-can  by  the 
name  of  Zac-chae^is,"  said  Uncle  John,  "whom  the  Jews  es- 
pecially hated,  because  he  was  a  Jew,  and  yet  accepted  tliis  po- 
sition under  the  Ro'man  government. 

"There  were  many  publicans  in  Jer'i-cho,  for  the  reason  that 
a  great  deal  of  balsam  was  raised  in  and  about  Jer'i-cho,  on 
which  taxes  were  collected. 


180  At  Jer'i-cho 

"Now  Zac-chae'us  was  a  small  man,  and  being  unable  to  see 
Je'sus,  had  climbed  a  tree.  Je'sus  looking  up,  saw  him  and  said  • 
'Zac-chae'us  come  down  out  of  the  tree,  I  want  to  abide  at  your 
home.' 

"Zac-chae'us  was  rich;  he  had  a  large  home  and  could  ac- 
commodate Je'sus  and  His  entire  party,  so  he  made  haste  and 
came  down  and  received  Je'sus  joyfully. 

"Now  when  the  multitude  saw  it  they  murmured  saying, 
that  Je'sus  had  gone  to  be  a  guest  with  a  sinner. 

"The  kindness  of  Je'sus  so  impressed  Zac-chae'us  that  he 
said,  'Lord  I  will  give  half  of  my  goods  to  the  poor,  and  if  I 
have  taken  anything  from  any  one  wrongfully,  I  will  give  him 
back  four  times  as  much  as  I  took.' 

"Then  Je'sus  told  him  that  he  was  a  saved  man,  for  since  he 
showed  so  noble  a  heart  he  was  a  true  son  of  A'bra-ham. 

"That,"  said  Uncle  John,  "finishes  our  lesson  to-day." 

All  of  the  children  said:  "That  is  a  fine  story,  Uncle  John. 
I  am  glad  Je'sus  said  that  to  Zac-chae'us.  He  deserved  it  all, 
didn't  He?" 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XL VIII 

Why  did  Jesus  go  away  after  raising  Lazarus  from  the  dead? 

Whose  mother  joined  them  in  going  to  Jerusalem? 

What  favor  did  she  ask  for  her  two  sons  ? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  her? 

Tell  about  the  bhnd  Bartimeus  and  his  companion. 

When  Jesus  heard  them  calling  what  did  he  do  ? 

What  did  the  men  do  when  they  were  healed? 

Tell  about  the  publican  they  met  in  Jericho. 

Why  was  he  hated? 

What  kind  of  a  man  was  Zaccheus  ? 

What  did  he  do,  and  what  did  Jesus  say  when  he  saw  him? 

What  did  Zaccheus  do  ? 

What  did  the  multitude  do  ? 

What  did  Zaccheus  tell  Jesus? 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  SIMON^  THE  LEPER 

Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  June 

Uncle  John  first  answered  many  questions,  then  said,  "Well 
the  procession  has  now  reached  the  outskirts  of  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"Je'sus  is  now  in  Eeth'a-ny  again  where  Ma'ry,  Mar'tha 
and  Laz'a-rus  lived.  He  rested  in  peace  until  the  Sab'bath 
evening,  when  a  feast  was  made  for  Him  and  His  apostles  by 
a  rich  man  known  as  Si'mon  The  Lep'er.  Who  Si'mon  The 
Lep'er  was,  we  do  not  know,  but  it  is  thought  by  some  that  he 
was  the  father  of  Ma'ry,  Mar'tha  and  Laz'a-rus.  Others  have 
thought  he  was  the  husband  of  Mar'tha,  and  that  Je'sus  had 
healed  him  of  leprosy  and  because  of  this,  Je'sus  has  become  in- 
timate with  the  family.  It  matters  not  who  he  was,  except  that 
the  feast  was  one  of  great  distinction. 

"The  Sab'bath  with  the  Jew  begins  Fri'day  at  six  o'clock 
and  ends  Sat'ur-day  at  the  same  hour;  so  whilst  it  was  what  we 
call  Sab'bath  evening,  it,  in  realitj^  was  their  JNlon'day  evening. 

"Now,  JNIa'ry  whose  heart  was  filled  with  love  and  gratitude 
for  our  Lord,  came  in  during  the  feast  and  broke  an  alabaster 
box  of  ointment,  and  annointed  Je'sus'  feet.  The  cost  of  this 
ointment  was  about  thirty  dollars.  You  will  be  surprised,  dear 
children,  to  know  that  Ju'das,  one  of  the  A-pos'tles,  objected  to 
it,  saying  that  the  money  ought  to  have  been  given  to  the  poor; 
and  you  will  be  more  surprised  to  know  that  Julias  was  not  sin- 
cere in  his  thought  for  the  poor.  He  was  the  only  A-pos'tle  who 
was  not  in  sympathy  with  Je'sus'  work.  He  was,  in  fact,  a 
hypocrite,  and  Je'sus  doubtless  knew  it,  but  being  so  forgiving, 
always  treated  Ju'das  as  though  he  might  overcome  this  sin,  not 
even  letting  Ju'das  know  that  He  could  read  his  thoughts. 

"John,  however,  who  knew  .Tu'das  well,  said  that  Ju^das  did 
not  care  for  the  poor;  that  he  was  av-a-ri'cious,  and  loved  bet- 
is  i 


182  In   the  House   of  Si'mon 

ter  to  hear  money  jingle  in  the  bag  which  he  carried."  "Why 
did  Ju'das  carry  a  money  bag,  Uncle  John?"  asked  Paul.  "The 
reason  was,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Ju'das  was  the  treasm-er 
of  the  little  band  of  twelve  A-pos'tles.  They  were  human  like 
all  men,  and  had  to  be  fed  and  clothed." 

"Were  they  poor,  Uncle  John?"  asked  Pau-line".  "No,  not 
poor,"  said  Uncle  John,  "for  no  one  is  poor  who  trusts  in  God, 
yet  most  of  them  were  fishermen  by  trade,  and  their  means  were 
limited.  Doubtless  they,  like  many  ministers  of  to-day,  had 
generous  friends  who  contributed  to  their  funds,  such  as  Jo'seph 
of  Ai'-i-ma-the'a,  Ma'ry,  Mar'tha  and  Laz'a-rus,  Si'mon,  the 
leper,  Sa-lo'me  and  her  husband  Zeb'e-dee,  with  a  few  others 
scattered  throughout  the  Ho'ly  Land. 

"This  money  which  was  given  was  not  large,  and  they  doubt- 
less had  to  trust  much,  and  perhaps  at  times  suffered  with  hun- 
ger, for  we  read  of  their  plucldng  corn  from  the  field,  yet  they 
kept  a  money  bag,  and  made  their  money  go  as  far  as  possible. 

"Ma'ry  began  to  be  troubled.  Doubtless  she  thought  she 
had  been  too  extravagant.  But  Je'sus  reading  her  heart,  said: 
'Why  trouble  ye  this  woman?  She  has  done  this  to  prepare 
My  body  for  burial.  For  the  poor  you  have  with  you  alway,  but 
you  will  have  Me  for  a  short  time  only.' 

"After  the  feast,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  chief  priests  more 
displeased  than  ever  with  Christ's  popularity,  expressed  a  de- 
sire to  kill  not  only  Je'sus,  but  Laz'a-rus,  and  went  about  to  de- 
vise methods  to  carry  out  this  plan." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XLIX 

Tell  who  Simon,  the  leper,  was. 

When  does  the  Sabbath  day  begin  and  close,  with  the  Jews  ? 

What  did  Mary  do  during  the  feast? 

What  kind  of  a  man  was  Judas? 

Why  did  Judas  carry  the  money  bag? 

Who  probably  furnished  them  with  money  ? 


CHAPTER  L 

PALM   SUNDAY 

Afternoon  Lesson 

The  same  group  of  friends  who  were  present  at  the  morning 
lesson  came  back  in  the  afternoon. 

Uncle  John,  in  seating  himself  said:  "Dear  friends,  the  open 
air,  the  grass  and  the  trees  seem  to  bring  us  nearer  to  our  lesson 
which  is,  'Je'sus'  Triumphant  Entry  Into  Je-ru'sa-lem.' 
What  we  are  now  to  relate  had  been  prophesied  many  years  be- 
fore the  birth  of  Je'sus. 

"The  next  day  after  Si'mon  the  Lep'er's  feast,  Je'sus  sent 
two  of  His  A-pos'tles  to  Beth'pha-ge,  a  village  two  miles  south 
of  Beth'a-ny,  for  an  ass  with  a  colt  whereon  no  man  had  yet 
sat. 

"He  said  to  the  A-pos'tles,  'Untie  and  bring  them  here  to 
Beth'a-ny.  The  man  who  owns  them  will  object,  but  when  you 
tell  him  that  the  Lord  hath  need  of  them,  he  will  permit  you  to 
bring  them  here.' 

"The  A-pos'tles  found  everything  as  Je'sus  predicted  and 
came  back  with  the  animals.  They  took  the  colt  on  which  no 
one  had  ever  ridden  and  placed  Je'sus  thereon,  and  led  it  to  the 
city  of  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"The  journey  was  accompanied  by  great  crowds  who  cried, 
'Ho-san'na.'  Many  spread  their  garments  in  the  road  and 
strewed  before  Him  branches  from  trees  and  waved  palms  in 
the  air.  This  is  why,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  the  Sun'day  pre- 
ceding Je'sus'  res-ur-rec'tion  has  ever  since  been  celebrated  as 
Palm  Sun'day. 

"All  this  time  the  procession  was  slowly  mo\ang  up  the  hill 
from  Beth'a-ny  to  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"You  wonder  how  this  affected  Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  as 
he  looked  into  their  faces.     "Well,  Je'sus  wept.     He  wept  be- 

183 


184  Palm  Sunday 

cause  of  His  great  love.  He  knew  some  day  the  city  would  be 
destroyed  and  that  many  people  would  be  killed.  He  said,  *0 
Je-ru'sa-lem,  Je-ru'sa-lem,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thee  together  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  brood  under  her  wings  but 
ye  would  not.' 

"When  the  procession  reached  the  city  gate  it  broke  up  and 
the  people  went  their  various  ways  to  the  Temple.  Before  the 
dispersion,  however,  the  rulers  came  to  Je'sus  and  asked  Him  to 
stop  the  shouts  of  the  people.  Je'sus  declined,  saying,  'If  I 
were  to  do  this  the  very  stones  of  Je-ru'sa-lem  would  cry  out.' 

"Je'sus  with  the  others,"  said  Uncle  John,  "now  walked  to 
the  Tem'ple.  On  reaching  it  He  found  men  changing  money, 
others  selling  doves  and  cattle.  He  drove  them  all  out,  as  He 
had  done  three  years  before. 

"After  this,  He  went  in  to  worship.  Among  other  worship- 
ers were  children,  particularly  boys,  who,  when  they  caught 
sight  of  Je'sus,  cried,  'Ho-san'na  to  the  Son  of  DaVid.'  The 
rulers  were  again  displeased  and  said  unto  Je'sus,  'Hearest 
thou,  what  these  say?' 

"Je'sus  answered:  'Have  you  not  read  in  the  Scrip'tures 
that  out  of  the  mouths  of  little  children  you  have  perfect 
praise  ?' 

"Soon  after  this,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  first  Palm  Sunday 
of  the  world  came  to  a  close  and  Je'sus  went  back  to  his  stop- 
ping place  in  Beth'a-ny." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  L 

Who  accompanied  Jesus  on  the  journey? 

How  was  Jesus  affected  as  he  came  in  sight  of  Jerusalem? 

What  did  the  rulers  do  when  Jesus  came  to  the  city  gates  ? 

What  did  Jesus  find  and  what  did  he  do  when  he  reached  the  temple? 

What  did  the  boys  cry  when  Jesus  went  into  the  temple  ? 

Where  did  Jesus  go  that  night  ? 


CHAPTER  LI 

THE  BARREN  EIG  TREE 

Morning  Lesson — Fifth  Sunday  in  June 

Paul  and  Pau-line'  were  ready  to  ask  Uncle  John  many 
questions.  Among  others,  where  Je'sus  and  the  A-pos'tles 
stayed  on  the  night  of  the  Palm  Sun'day. 

"I  fancy,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Je'sus  with  His  A-pos'- 
tles  lived  in  booths  somewhere  near  the  home  of  Laz'a-rus,  Mar'- 
tha  and  Ma'ry. 

"The  morning  following  Palm  Sun'day  they  again  left 
Beth'a-ny  for  Je-ru'sa-lem.  Je'sus  had  had  no  breakfast,  at 
least  we  judge  not,  for  we  are  told  in  the  bible  that  He  was  hun- 
gry when  He  reached  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"Now  the  road  leading  up  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  was  lined  on 
either  side  with  fig  trees,  which  at  this  season  of  the  year  were 
full  of  ripe  fruit. 

"Je'sus  was  walking  along  as  usual  talking  with  His  A-pos'- 
tles,  when  of  a  sudden  He  stopped  and  looked  up  into  one  of 
the  trees  as  if  He -would  stop  and  satisfy  His  hunger. 

"Now  strange  to  say,  there  were  no  figs  on  the  tree  under 
which  He  halted.  He  doubtless  knew  it  before  stopping,  but 
desiring  to  show  His  A-pos'tles  the  uselessness  of  a  fruitless 
life.  He  condemned  the  tree  by  saying,  'Let  no  fruit  grow  on 
thee  henceforth,  forever.' 

"The  next  day  when  going  up  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  the  A-pos'- 
tles  in  passing  this  fig  tree  noticed  it  was  dried  to  the  very  roots 
and  they  said  to  Je'sus:  'Master,  the  fig  tree  which  Thou  con- 
demned is  withered  away.' 

"Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "knew  what  would  happen  to 
the  tree  so  He  expressed  no  surprise."  "Good,"  said  all  the  chil- 
dren, "but  why,  Mr.  Minister,"  said  one  of  the  boy  guests,  "did 
Je'sus  do  that?" 

185 


186  The  Barren  Fig  Tree 

"Now  Je'sus,"  said  Uncle  John,  "had  two  reasons  for  con- 
demning this  tree.  The  first  was  to  teach  a  lesson  against  hy- 
poc'ri-sy.  He  wished  to  show  the  A-pos'tles  that  God  did  not 
like  a  deceiving  life.  He  had  nothing  against  the  tree,  for  it 
gave  shade,  but  bearing  leaves  and  no  fruit  deceived  the  people. 

"Je^sus'  second  reason  for  condemning  the  tree  was  to  teach 
a  lesson  in  faith.  The  A-pos'tles  needed  faith  above  everything 
else,  so  Je'sus  said  to  them,  'You  think  it  strange  that  this  tree 
should  wither  because  I  condemned  it.  If  you  have  faith,  just  a 
little  faith,  no  larger  than  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  you  shall  be 
able  to  do  what  I  have  done,  and  more.' " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LI 

Where  did  Jesus  and  his  apostles  probably  live? 

Tell  about  Jesus  and  the  fig  tree. 

What  did  the  apostles  notice  about  the  tree  the  next  day.? 

What  did  one  of  the  boy  guests  ask  Uncle  John? 

How  many  reasons  did  Uncle  John  say  Jesus  had  for  killing  the  tree^ 

What  was  the  first  reason  ? 

What  was  the  second  reason? 

How  did  Jesus  say  the  apostles  could  do  the  things  he  did? 


CHAPTER  LII 

A  DAY  OF  PARABLES 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Well,  little  curly  head,  what  is  it  that  you  wish  to  ask," 
said  Uncle  John,  as  Pau-line'  came  early  in  the  afternoon  and 
laid  her  hand  on  liis  arm,  looking  wistfully  into  his  face.  "I 
was  wondering  where  Je'sus  went  after  He  condenmed  the  fig 
tree,"  replied  Pau-line'. 

"That  is  a  good  question,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Well,  Je'sus 
went  on  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  and  to  the  Tem'ple,  but  He  had  not 
been  there  long  when  the  people  began  to  flock  around  Him  and 
ask  questions.  After  talking  to  them  a  little,  He  saw  several 
persons  j)ass  through  the  crowd  and  come  directly  toward  Him. 
He  soon  learned  they  were  chief  priests,  scribes  and  rabbis,  who 
had  come  to  arrest  Him. 

"They  seemed  to  have  no  fear  of  failure,  asking  Plim, 
boldly,  who  had  given  Him  authority  to  do  the  wonders  He  had 
been  doing. 

"Je'sus  calmly  replied:  'I  will  answer  your  question  if  you 
will  first  answer  mine.'  They  agreed.  Je'sus  then  said:  'What 
do  you  say  of  John,  the  Bap'tist?  Was  he  sent  of  God  to 
preach,  or  did  he  do  it  of  his  own  accord?' 

"Now,  these  men  knew  in  their  hearts,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"what  they  thought  of  John,  but  they  did  not  want  to  answer 
as  they  believed.  They  wanted  to  keep  the  good  will  of  the 
crowd,  and  the  crowd  believed  that  John  was  a  prophet,  sent 
of  God,  to  announce  Je'sus  as  the  Mes-si'ah. 

"Now  this  was  a  shrewd  question  on  Je'sus'  part  and  showed 
He  had  great  wisdom  as  well  as  tact.  The  scribes  were  puz- 
zled; they  could  not  answer  Je'sus'  question,  so  Je'sus  said  to 
them:  'Ye  cannot  answer  this  question,  I  therefore  refuse  to 
answer  your   question.'      They   were    chagi'ined    and   annoyed. 

187 


188  A  Day  of  Parables 

They  did  not  like  to  be  outdone  in  this  manner,  but  i?hey  saw  no 
other  way  than  to  make  the  best  of  it,  so  they  remained  at  the 
meeting,  watching  and  hstening." 

"What  did  Je'sus  then  do?"  said  Paul.  "Je'sus  spoke  right 
on,"  said  Uncle  John.  "He  paid  little  attention  to  them,  ex- 
cept to  make  use  of  the  occasion  to  teach  God's  displeasure  with 
rebellious  servants.  He  spoke  several  parables,  one  of  which 
was  about  The  Rebellious  Husband.     The  story  is  as  follows: 

"A  certain  man  had  a  large  vineyard,  which  he  rented  to 
husbandmen.  When  the  time  came  for  settlement  the  owner 
sent  his  servants  to  the  husbandmen  for  his  money.  But  they 
beat  the  servants,  drove  some  away,  wounded  others  and  killed 
others. 

"When  the  owner  of  the  vineyard  heard  of  it,  he  sent  his 
son  to  them,  saying:  'They  will  reverence  him.'  But  when  the 
husbandmen  saw  the  son,  they  said  to  each  other:  'The  heir  of 
the  vineyard  has  come.  Let  us  kill  him  and  seize  the  vineyard.' 
So  saying  they  made  haste  to  carry  out  their  plan. 

"Now  when  Je'sus  had  finished  this  parable  He  said  to  the 
crowd:  'What  do  you  think  the  owner  of  the  vineyard  will  do 
with  these  men?'  They  one  and  all  answered:  'He  will  punish 
the  husbandmen,  and  let  out  his  vineyard  to  worthier  men.' 
'That  is  right,'  answered  Je'sus." 

"I  should  have  thought,"  said  Paul,  "that  the  Scribes  and 
Phar'i-sees  would  have  wanted  to  go  home  about  this  time." 
"So  they  did,"  said  Uncle  John,  "they  fell  farther  and  farther 
back  to  the  rear  of  the  audience  and  were  the  first  to  leave." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LII 

Who  came  to  Jesus  in  the  temple? 

What  did  they  ask  him? 

What  bargain  did  Jesus  make  with  them? 

What  question  did  Jesus  ask  them? 

Why  didn't  the  priests  answer  Jesus'  question  about  John  the  Baptist? 


CHAPTER  LIII 

THE   widow's  mite 

Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  July 

"What  are  we  going  to  talk  about  to-day,  Uncle  John,"  said 
Pau-line',  as  the  class  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  hill  not  far  from 
the  house. 

"We  are  going  to  talk  to-day  about  the  widow's  mite,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "but  the  reason  I  brought  you  here  is  because  it 
will  help  us  to  think  of  Je'sus  as  He  sat,  with  His  A-pos'tles, 
at  the  close  of  the  last  Tues'day  of  His  life,  on  the  Mount  of 
Orives,  looking  down  on  Je-ru'sa-lem  and  the  surrounding 
countrj^  for  the  last  time. 

"Je'sus  was  now  teaching  His  A-pos'tles  many  great  truths. 
He  knew  He  was  soon  to  leave  them.  He  felt  they  meant  well, 
but,  like  many  good  men  of  to-day,  they  saw  things  in  a  differ- 
ent light  than  Je'sus  wanted  them  to.  Among  other  things  they 
thought  that  if  a  person  gave  liberally  to  God's  work  he  was  a 
better  man  than  he  who  gave  little.  Je'sus  endeavored  always 
to  teach  them  to  judge  by  the  heart  and  not  by  looks,  so,  after 
finishing  the  day's  work,  and  before  going  to  the  Mount  of  01'- 
ives,  Je'sus  went  with  His  A-pos'tles  to  that  part  of  the  Tem'- 
ple  known  as  the  treasury.  Here  were  placed  thirteen  boxes 
made  in  the  shape  of  horns,  the  small  part  at  the  top  as  a  re- 
ceptacle for  the  people's  offerings. 

"Xear  these  Je'sus  sat  with  His  A-pos'tles  to  look  at  the 
people  as  they  cast  in  their  offerings. 

"Whilst  here  they  saw  many  people  come  and  deposit  large 
simis  of  money.  Some  were  wealthy — very  wealthy — who  could 
afford  to  give  liberally  and  yet  make  no  sacrifice  at  all.  They 
saw,  among  others,  a  poor  woman  come  and  deposit  two  mites, 
equivalent  to  half  a  cent  in  our  money.  Now  Je'sus,  in  talking 
it  over  with  His  A-pos'tles  afterwards,  said  that  this  poor  widow 

189 


The  Widow's  3Iitc  1 9 1 

had  given  more  than  any  one  of  the  others,  for  the  others  had 
plenty  with  which  to  give  while  she  gave  all  she  had. 

"This  lesson,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  intended  for  all  the 
world.  No  matter  how  poor  a  person,  or  how  young,  if  he  gives 
all  he  can  afford,  God  is  pleased  with  the  offering. " 

"That  reminds  me,"  said  Paul,  "how  mean  Mr.  Brown  must 
feel  with  all  his  acres  of  land,  his  stock,  his  grain  and  everything 
else  and  then  only  give  ten  dollars  a  year  for  the  support  of 
God's  church." 

"How  do  you  know?"  said  Pau-line'.  "How  do  I  know?" 
answered  Paul,  "Well,  his  boy,  George,  told  me  so,  and  I 
thought  he  said  it  Loastingly  as  if  he  thought  it  was  a  good  deal." 

"Now  my  boy,"  said  Uncle  John,  "let  us  not  criticise  others, 
we  will  each  do  the  best  we  can  and  leave  it  all  with  God,  we 
cannot  deceive  Him." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LIII 

What  is  this  lesson  about? 

What  did  the  apostles  think  about  those  who  came  ? 

How  did  Jesus  want  them  to  judge? 

Where  did  he  take  his  apostles  ? 

Where  did  Jesus  and  his  apostles  sit  down,  and  what  did  they  see? 

Tell  about  the  poor  woman. 

What  does  this  lesson  about  the  widow's  mite  teach  us? 

What  did  little  Paul  say  this  reminded  him  of? 

What  did  Uncle  John  say? 

What  did  Uncle  John  answer? 


CHAPTER  LIV 

THE  BARGAIN  OF  JUDAS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

The  friends  and  little  folks  wished  to  go  again  up  the  liill  in 
the  afternoon  for  the  sake  of  the  cool  breeze  and  because  it  re- 
minded them  of  Je'sus,  as  He  sat  on  the  Mount  of  Orives,  look- 
ing down  on  Je-ru'sa-lem  for  the  last  time. 

When  they  were  seated,  and  had  opened  the  Bi'ble  to  read, 
Uncle  John  said:  "Our  lesson  this  afternoon  is  very  diiFerent 
from  the  one  we  had  this  morning.  It  is  about  Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot 
who  betrayed  Christ. 

"We  do  not  know  what  Ju'das  did  before  he  became  an 
A-pos'tle,  but,  among  the  A-pos'tles,  you  will  remember  he  was 
the  one  who  took  care  of  the  money.  I  have  no  doubt  that  he 
was  a  capable  man,  that  he  judiciously  bought  the  provisions  and 
clothes  and  did  such  other  work  well,  as  was  required  of  him,  but 
whilst  doing  these  things,  and  possibly  even  earlier,  he  began  to 
love  money  and  to  take  that  which  did  not  belong  to  him. 

"Now  this  love  of  money  led  him,  as  it  has  many  others,  to 
do  wrong.  He  began  in  little  things  and  ended  in  betraying 
Je'sus,  a  crime  unsurpassed  in  History.  It  came  about  in  this 
way. 

"Eight  days  previous  to  the  Betrayal  the  Jew'ish  council 
secretly  met  in  the  palace  of  Ca'-ia-phas,  the  high  priest,  to  talk 
about  a  method  by  which  they  might  dispose  of  Je'sus.  They 
wanted  to  put  Je'sus  to  death,  but,  being  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Ro'man  government  they  were  compelled  to  furnish  evi- 
dence that  He  was  guilty  of  crime.  So  while  Je'sus  was  sitting 
on  the  Mount  of  Orives  with  the  twelve  disciples,  looking  at  the 
beloved  city,  the  Council  was  holding  their  secret  meeting  for 
the  purpose  of  getting  rid  of  Him. 

"In  the  midst  of  the  discussion,  Ju'das,  who  had  left  Je'sus 

192 


The  Bargain  of  Ju'das  193 

and  the  A-pos'tles  for  a  while,  came  suddenly  into  the  palace  of 
Ca'-ia-phas.  The  high  priests  and  others  knew  him  as  one  of 
the  twelve,  for  they  had  seen  Him  with  Je'sus  at  the  temple 
that  day  and  also  on  many  other  occasions. 

"Ju'das  knew  that  the  high  priests  .wanted  to  get  hold  of 
Je'sus.  They  could  not  do  it  in  the  day  time  for  fear  of  the  up- 
rising of  the  people,  so  Ju'das  oiFered  to  deliver  Him  up,  pro- 
vided they  would  give  him,  as  a  ransom,  thirty  pieces  of  silver 
— the  price  paid  for  a  slave — amounting  to  about  $15.00  in  our 
money.    His  offer  was  accepted. 

"After  he  had  made  his  bargain  with  the  high  priests  he 
went  back  to  Christ  and  the  eleven  A-pos'tles,  feeling  very 
guilty,  yet  thinking  they  knew  nothing  of  what  had  transpired." 

"Je'sus  knew  all  the  time,  did  He  not,  Uncle  John,"  said 
Pau-line',  *Svhat  Ju'das  was  planning  to  do?"  "Yes,"  replied 
Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  can  read  men's  inmost  thoughts  no  matter 
how  they  try  to  cover  up  their  sins.  But  He  treated  Ju'das  in 
the  same  kindly  spirit  as  before." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LIV 

Why  did  the  little  folks  like  to  go  upon  the  hill .'' 

About  whom  is  this  lesson? 

What  can  you  tell  about  Judas? 

How  did  Judas'  love  of  money  lead  him  to  sin? 

What  was  the  Jewish  council  doing  while  Jesus  was  on  the  mountain.^ 

Who  came  into  the  council? 

How  did  the  high  priests  know  Judas? 

What  offer  did  Judas  make  the  high  priest? 

How  much  money  did  he  get  for  selling  Jesus  ? 

Where  did  he  go  after  making  the  bargain? 

Did  Jesus  know  what  Judas  had  done? 

How  did  he  treat  Judas? 


CHAPTER  LV 

ju'das  withdraws  from  je'sus 

Morning  Lesson — Second  Smiday  in  July 

The  little  folks  were  sad  when  Uncle  John  told  them  during 
the  week  that  at  their  next  lesson  he  was  going  to  tell  them  about 
the  last  meal  that  Je'sus  ate  with  His  A-pos'tles.  They  were 
somewhat  comforted,  however,  when  he  said:  "Try  to  forget  the 
sad  part,  and  think  only  of  that  which  Je'sus  wishes  us  to  re- 
member— that  he  died  to  show  all  men  the  way  of  salvation." 

On  Sun'day  morning,  when  all  had  gathered  together,  Uncle 
John  began  by  saying:  "On  Thurs'day  morning  before  Je'sus' 
death,  Pe'ter  and  John  asked  Je'sus  where  they  should  make 
ready  the  Pass'over.  Je'sus  did  not  tell  them  outright ;  why,  we 
do  not  know,  unless,  possibly,  because  He  could  not  trust 
Ju'das.  He  said  to  them:  'Go  into  the  city  and  as  you  pass  by 
the  public  fountain  you  will  see  a  man  bearing  a  pitcher  of 
water.  Follow  him.  When  he  goes  into  tlie  house,  enter  and 
say  to  the  good  man  of  that  house:  "The  Master  saith,  where  is 
the  guest  chamber  where  I  shall  eat  the  Pass'over  with  the  dis- 
ciples?" *He,'  said  Je'sus,  'will  show  you  a  large  upper  room 
furnished.     There  make  ready.' 

"Pe'ter  and  John  did  as  Je'sus  told  them,  and  found  every- 
thing in  readiness  except  the  lamb.  They  then  went  down  to  the 
temple,  selected  a  lamb,  which  the  priest  slew,  and  they  pre- 
pared it  for  the  pass'over. 

"When  the  evening  was  come,  Je'sus  and  the  other  ten 
A-pos'tles  came  up  from  Beth'a-ny  and  found  Pe'ter  and  John 
ready  to  welcome  them.  Then  they  sat  down  together  for  the 
last  time. 

"It  is  too  bad,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  at  this  last  feast 
there  should    have  been    any    strife,  but  the    A-pos'tles,  as  on 


194 


Ju'das  Withdraws  from  Je'sus 


195 


JESUS  WASHES  PETER'S  FEET. 


many  former  occasions,  strove  to  see  who  should  have  the  places 
of  honor  at  the  table. 

"Je'sus  said  nothing  about  it  at  the  time,  but,  during"  the 
meal  He  arose  and,  binding  a  towel  about  His  waist,  took  a  basin 
of  water  and  in  it  washed  the  disciples'  feet,  then  wiped  them 
with  the  towel.  When  they  expressed  surprise  He  said:  'If  T, 
your  Lord  and  INIaster,  have  washed  your  feet  ye  ought  to  wash 
one  and  another's  feet.' 

"When  it  came  Pe'ter's  turn  he  said  to  Je'sus:  'Thou  shalt 
never  wash  my  feet.'     But  Je'sus  said:  'If  I  do  not  wash  thy 


196  Ju'das  Withdraws  from  Je'sus 

feet  thou  hast  no  part  with  me.'    Then  Pe'ter  said:  'Xot  my  feet 
only,  but  my  hands  and  my  head.' 

"When  Je'sus  had  finished  his  last  work  of  love  for  His* 
A-pos'tles  he  resumed  His  place  at  the  table.  Instead  of  being 
happy,  however,  His  heart  was  troubled,  for  He  knew  one  of 
them  would  soon  betray  Him  and  He  told  them  so.  All  except 
Ju'das  were  astonished  and  said  tenderly:  'Lord,  is  it  I?'  Ju'das 
said  coldly:  'Rab'bi  is  it  I?'  Je'sus  made  no  reply.  The  re- 
mark, however,  troubled  the  A-pos'tles  and  Pe'ter  beckoned  to 
John,  whose  head  was  on  Je'sus'  bosom,  to  ask  Him  who  it  was 
that  shoidd  betray  Him. 

"Je'sus  in  reply  took  a  morsel  of  bread  and  dipping  it  in 
the  dish  said:  'He  to  whom  I  give  this  sop  vAW  betray  me.'  Je'- 
sus then  handed  it  to  Ju'das  who  took  it.  Je'sus  now  said  gently 
to  Ju'das:  'What  thou  doest,  do  quickly.'  Ju'das  immediately 
arose  and  went  out  into  the  night,  lea^-ing  Je'sus  and  the  eleven 
A-pos'tles  to  say  a  final  farewell." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LV 

What  did  Peter  and  John  ask  Jesus? 

What  did  Jesus  answer? 

Did  the}'  find  things  as  Jesus  had  told  them? 

How  did  they  get  a  lamb  ? 

Who  came  up  in  the  evening? 

What  strife  occurred  among  the  disciples  at  the  feast? 

What  did  Jesus  do  to  teach  them  humility? 

What  did  Peter  say  when  Jesus  came  to  wash  his  feet  ? 

Why  was  Jesus  not  happy  at  this  feast? 

What  question  did  the  disciples  ask  the  Lord? 

What  did  Judas  ask? 

What  did  John  ask? 

How  did  Jesus  answer  John? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  Judas? 

What  did  Judas  do  ? 


CHAPTER  LVI 

THE  LORD^S  SUPPER 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"When  Ju'das  was  gone  the  A-pos'tles  partook  of  what  we 
term  The  Lord's  Supper — a  supper  instituted  for  those  only 
who  loved  the  Lord. 

"Je'sus  began  this  supper  by  taking  some  bread,  breaking  it 
and  blessing  it,  and  saying;  'This  is  my  body  which  is  broken  for 
you/ 

"He  then  took  a  cup  of  wine  saying,  'This  is  the  cup  of 
the  New  Tes'ta-nient  in  my  blood  which  is  shed  for  many/ 

"So  they  all  took  of  the  bread  and  the  wine,  much  as  we  do 
now  at  communion  service,  in  grateful  remembrance  that  Je'sus 
gave  His  life  for  us. 

"When  the  supper  was  finished,  Je'sus  made  His  farewell 
talk  to  His  A-pos'tles.  Though  in  great  sorrow  Himself,  He 
said  to  them,  'Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled.'  He  then  led 
their  thoughts  far  beyond  the  room  in  which  they  were  sitting, 
far  beyond  the  cross,  even,  where  He  must  die,  to  the  heavenly 
home  where  He  was  going  and  where  they  would  one  day  be 
reunited. 

"He  told  them  of  sorrows  that  would  come,  but  He  said: 
'My  peace  I  leave  with  you;  my  peace  I  give  unto  you.' 

"He  then  told  them  that  they  would  leave  Him  as  they 
thought,  alone,  but  that  He  would  not  be  alone  for  His  heavenly 
Father  would  be  with  Him.  He  then  solemnly  charged  them  'to 
love  one  another  as  He  had  loved  them.' 

"After  His  talk  He  ])rayed — prayed  for  Himself,  for  the 
A-pos'tles  and  for  all  the  world. 

107 


The  Lord's  Supper 


199 


"He  prayed  that  His  dis- 
ciples might  be  kept  from  evil 
and  become  a  blessing  to  the 
world  and  that,  eventually, 
each  one  might  be  permitted 
to  join  Him  in  heaven. 

"Thus  ended  the  last  supper 
and  the  last  prayer.  They 
then  sang  a  hymn,  and  all 
went  out  into  the  Mount  of 
Ol'ives. 

"Twenty-one  years  had  now 
elapsed  since,  as  a  boy,  in  this 
same  city,  Je'sus  had  said  to 
His  parents :  'Wist  ye  not  that 
I  must  be  about  my  Father's 
business?'  He  could  now  say 
to  His  Heavenly  Father  what 
no  other  person  has  ever  been  able  to  say:  'I  have  finished  the 
work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LVI 

What  did  the  apostles  do  after  Judas  was  gone? 

For  whom  is  the  Lord's  supper? 

How  did  Jesus  begin  the  supper? 

Why  do  church  members  take  the  communion  service  now? 

What  did  Jesus  say  in  his  last  talk  to  his  apostles? 

What  did  he  tell  them  should  come  to  them? 

What  did  he  tell  them  they  would  do  ? 

What  did  he  charge  them  to  do  ? 

For  whom  did  he  pray? 

What  did  he  ask  for  his  apostles  ? 

What  did  they  do  at  the  close  of  the  supper? 

What  could  Jesus  now  say  to  his  heavenly  father? 


THE  PLACE  WHERE  THE  CROWN  OF 
THORNS    WAS    PLACED    ON. 


CHAPTER  LVII 

geth-sem'a-ne 
Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  July 

Uncle  John  told  the  children  during  the  week  that  the  next 
talk  was  to  be  about  Je'sus  in  Geth-sem'a-ne,  so  when  they 
came  together  on  the  following  Sun'day  they  asked  where  and 
what  Geth-sem'a-ne  was. 

"Geth-sem'a-ne,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  a  sort  of  public 
park,  a  piece  of  enclosed  ground,  on  the  Mount  of  OFives,  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  city  walls  where  Je'sus  had  often  taken  His 
disciples  for  rest  and  prayer. 

"Je'sus,  in  going  there  at  this  time,  left  eight  of  the  disci- 
ples at  the  entrance,  and  went  in,  accompanied  only  by  Pe'ter, 
James  and  John.  These  three  had  been  with  Him  on  other  im- 
portant occasions,  such  as  the  Trans-fig-u-ra'tion  and  the  rais- 
ing of  Ja'i-rus'  daughter.  They  had  seen  Him  in  His  glory  and 
they  were  now  to  see  Him  in  His  sorrow. 

"When  they  had  gone  in  and  sat  down,  the  SaVior  said  to 
them:  'My  soul  is  sorrowful  and  even  unto  death,  stay  here  and 
watch  with  me.'  Pe'ter,  James  and  John  scarcely  understood 
Je'sus'  words.  They  little  knew  how  great  His  love,  or  how, 
for  the  world's  sake,  He  could  die  on  the  cross.  There  was  only 
One  who  understood  Him  and  that  was  His  Father  in  heaven. 

"Je^sus  then  went  a  little  distance  from  the  three  A-pos'- 
tles,  and  kneeling  down  prayed:  'Oh,  my  Father,  if  it  is  possi- 
ble, let  this  cup  pass  from  me.'  This  cup  Je'sus  referred  to," 
said  Uncle  John,  "was  His  sorrow  for  the  world.  He  hated  to 
leave  it,  but  He  said:  'Not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou  wilt.' 

"He  then  walked  back  to  where  He  had  left  Pe'ter,  James 
and  John,  and  found  them  asleep.  He  woke  them  and  said 
gently:  'Si'mon,'  whose  surname,  as  you  remember,  is  Pe'ter, 
'Coulds't  thou  not  watch  with  me  one  hour?' 

200 


Geth-sem' arte 


201 


"Again  the  Sa'vior  went  a  little  way  from  them  and  prayed 
as  He  did  before.  Again  He  returned  and  found  the  A-pos'tles 
wrapped  in  slumber.  He  now  realized,  as  never  before,  that 
earthly  friends  could  not  share  His  sorrow.  He  was  alone,  so 
far  as  they  were  concerned,  but  God  was  with  Him,  and  an 
angel  had  come  and  strengthened  Him. 

"A  third  time  Je'sus  went  to  His  disciples,  this  time  saying: 
'Rise,  let  us  go;  he  that  betrayeth  me  is  at  hand.' 


•BEHOLD,  HE  IS  AT  HAND  THAT  BETRAYETH  ME." 

"Now,  Ju'das,  who  was  to  betray  Him,  had  been  separated 
from  them  some  time.  During  that  time  He  had  been  busy  mak- 
ing arrangements  with  the  rulers  to  arrest  Je'sus.  A  full  moon 
was  shining,  but  the  soldiers  came  with  lanterns  prepared  to 
look  in  shady  places,  for  they  expected  Je'sus  would  hide,  but 
He  had  no  such  thought. 

"When  Ju'das,  who  led  the  soldiers,  saw  Je'sus,  He  saluted 
Him,  saying:  'Hail  ^Master,'  then  gave  Him  a  kiss.  Je'sus  said: 
'Friend,  wherefore  art  thou  come?  Betrayest  thou  the  Son  of 
JNIan  with  a  kiss?' 


202  Geth-sem'a-ne 

"Then  Je'sus  turned  away  from  Ju'das  and,  going  to  the 
leader  of  the  soldiers,  asked:  'Whom  seek  ye?'  They  answered; 
'Je'sus  of  Naz'a-reth.'     Je'sus  calmly  answered:  'I  am  He.' 

"Pe'ter  in  the  meantime  had  gotten  a  sword  and  smote  at  a 
servant  of  the  High  Priest,  cutting  off  his  ear.  But  our  Lord 
would  not  have  it  so.  He  touched  the  ear  of  the  servant  and  it 
became  whole.  He  then  turned  to  Pe'ter  and  said:  'Put  up  thy 
sword  in  the  sheath.  I  could  have  thousands  of  angels  to  pro- 
tect Me  if  I  wished,  but  no,  the  cup  which  My  Father  hath  pre- 
pared for  Me,  of  that  will  I  drink.'  The  soldiers  then  bound 
Je'sus  and  led  Him  away." 

"Wasn't  Je'sus  beautiful — just  beautiful.  Uncle  John," 
said  Pau-line'.  "Yes,  very  beautiful,  Pau-line';  no  one  but  He 
could  have  healed  the  servant's  ear  and  told  Pe'ter  to  put  up  the 
sword,"  said  Uncle  John. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LVII 

Whom  did  Jesus  take  with  him  into  the  garden? 

When  they  went  in  what  did  Jesus  say  to  them? 

Did  they  understand  Jesus? 

Who  did  understand  Jesus? 

What  did  Jesus  do,  and  for  what  did  he  pray? 

How  did  he  find  the  apostles,  and  what  did  he  say? 

What  did  he  do  next? 

What  did  Jesus  know  when  he  found  the  apostles  asleep  again? 

After  he  had  prayed  the  third  time  what  did  he  say? 

Why  did  the  soldiers  and  Judas  bring  lanterns? 

What  did  Judas  do  when  they  found  Jesus  ? 

What  did  Jesus  say  when  Judas  kissed  him? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  the  soldiers? 

In  the  meantime  what  had  Peter  done? 

What  did  Jesus  do  and  say  when  Peter  cut  off  the  servant's  ear? 


CHAPTER  LVIII 

je'sus  before  the  council 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"Je'sus  was  hurried  from  Geth-sem'a-ne,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"to  the  home  of  An'nas,  the  rightful  High  Priest,  whom  the  Ro- 
mans had  displaced  for  Ca'ia-phas.  An'nas  was  very  old  and 
haughty,  and  tried  his  best  to  find  some  wrong  that  the  SaVior 
had  said  or  done. 

"Finding  none,  he  sent  them  to  Ca'ia-phas.  When  they 
reached  the  latter's  palace  it  was  full  of  Scribes  and  Priests  who 
wanted  to  find  witnesses,  among  Je'sus'  accusers,  who  would 
give  testimony  that  would  waiTant  putting  Him  to  death. 
Many  bore  false  witness  against  Him,  but  the  testimony  was  so 
contradictory  that  the  judges  did  not  care  to  act  upon  it. 

"They  then  began  to  question  Je'sus,  but  Je'sus  did  not  re- 
ply to  their  questions.  Then  Ca'ia-phas  in  anger  said :  ' Answer- 
est  thou  nothing?  What  is  this  that  these  witness  against  thee? 
I  adjure  thee  by  the  loving  God,  that  Thou  tell  us  whether  Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God.' 

•  "Je'sus  meekly  replied:  'I  am  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God/ 
A  moment  of  silence  followed,  and  then,  turning  away  from  His 
earthly  judge  to  a  heavenly  One,  Je'sus  said:  'You  shall  see 
the  Son  of  Man  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  and  coming 
in  the  clouds  with  the  angels.' 

"Pe'ter  and  John,  being  present,  heard  Je'sus'  declaration. 
John  was  a  man  of  influence,  and  was  admitted  without  trouble 
to  the  palace  of  Ca'ia-phas,  but  Pe'ter  came  through  the  ser- 
vants' gate  and  into  the  courtyard.  He  gained  admission  only 
because  John  had  been  to  the  porteress,  who  kept  the  gate,  and 
asked  her  to  let  him  in. 

203 


204 


Je'sus  Before  the  Council 


PETER   WENT   OUT  AND   WEPT. 

"Pe'ter  was  anxious  to  know  about  Je'sus,  but  he  endeav- 
ored to  conceal  the  fact,  lest  he  would  not  be  admitted.  The 
woman,  however,  recognized  him  and  said:  'You  were  with 
Je'sus  of  Gal'i-lee?' 

"Pe'ter  now  spoke  a  falsehood;  he  denied  having  been  with 
Je'sus.  A  moment  later  a  servant  of  the  High  Priest,  and  a 
relative  of  the  man  whose  ear  Pester  had  cut  oiF,  said  to  him 
as  he  entered  the  judge's  room:  'Did  not  I  see  thee  in  the 
garden  with  Him?' 

"At  this  point  a  cock  crew,  calling  back  to  Pe'ter's  memory 
the  upper  room.  In  that  room  he  had  said  to  Je'sus:  'Though 
all  men  forsake  thee,  yet  will  not  I.'  Je'sus  had  answered  Him 
saying,  'Pe'ter,  before  the  cock  crow  twice  thou  shalt  deny  me 
thrice !' 


Je'sus   Before   the  Council 


205 


"The  Lord  now  turned  and  looked  at  Pe'ter.  When  Pe'ter 
saw  the  look  of  love  and  yet  reproach  upon  the  face  of  the  Mas- 
ter, he  went  out  and  wept.  He  repented  and  his  repentance  was 
lasting. 

"During  the  remainder  of  the  night  Je'sus  suffered  many 
insults,  but  he  was  brave  and  dignified  through  it  all. 


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ROMAN  SOLDIERS  TAKING   CHRIST. 


"In  the  early  morning  the  Council  met  in  a  more  formal 
way,  not  to  see  if  Je'sus  was  innocent,  but  to  prove,  if  possible, 
that  He  Mas  guilty.  Not  being  permitted  by  the  Ro'man  law 
to  put  any  man  to  death,  they  finally  led  Je'sus  to  the  Ro'man 
governor,  Pon'ti-us  Pi'-late. 

"Ju'das,  who  had  betrayed  Je'sus,  was  now  deeply  affected 
by  the  treatment  which  Je'sus  was  receiving.  He  was  full  of 
remorse  for  what  he  had  done  and  went  to  the  High  Priest  and 


BEHOLD  THE  MAN 


Hofmann 


Je'sus  Before   the  Council  207 

the  chief  men  of  the  city,  saying:  'I  have  done  wrong  in  betray- 
ing an  innocent  man.'  He  then  cast  down  on  the  pavement  the 
thirty  pieces  of  silver  that  had  been  given  him,  and  went  out  and 
hanged  himself." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LVIII 

Where  did  they  take  Jesus  from  the  garden? 

Where  did  Annas  send  Jesus? 

Tell  about  the  false  witnesses. 

What  question  did  Caiaphas  ask  Jesus  ?     - 

What  did  Jesus  answer? 

Tell  how  John  and  Peter  got  into  the  council. 

What  awful  thing  did  Peter  now  do? 

What  question  did  the  man  ask  Peter? 

When  Peter  told  the  second  falsehood  who  looked  at  him  ? 

What  did  he  do  when  he  saw  Christ's  loving  reproach? 

What  happened  to  Jesus  during  the  night? 

What  did  the  council  do  in  the  early  morning? 

In  the  meantime  what  had  Judas  suffered? 

What  awful  thing  did  he  do  to  get  rid  of  his  trouble? 


CHAPTER  LIX 


je'sus  and  pon'ti-us  pi'late 
Morning  Lesson — The  Fourth  Sunday  in  July 

"It  was  about  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
Je'sus  was  brought  into  the 
presence  of  Pon'ti-us  Pi'- 
late.  A  rope  had  been 
placed  about  His  neck  in- 
dicating that  the  Jew'ish 
Coun'cil  had  condemned 
Him  to  death. 

"Pi'late,  after  looking 
upon  Je'sus,  turned  to  His 
accusers  and  asked:  'What 
accusation  bring  ye  against 
this  man?' 

"They  said:  'He  is  an  evil 
doer.'  Pi'late  would  not 
condemn  Him  on  so  slight  a 
charge,  and  said:  'Take 
Him  j^ourself,  and  judge 
Him  according  to  your  law.' 

"When    they    saw    that 

Pi'late  would  not  jaeld  on 

this    charge,    they    brought 

three  other  charges  against 

him.    One  was  that  He  had 

perverted  the  nation ;  that  He  forbade  people  to  pay  tribute  to  the 

Ro'man  government,  and  finally,  that  He  claimed  to  be  king. 

"Pilate  said  to  Je'sus:    'Art  Thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?' 

208 


CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 


Je'sus  and  Pon'ti-us  Pi'late  209 

Je'sus'  reply  was  ever  the  same:  'My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world.' 

"Then  Pilate  asked  him  what  He  had  done.  How  much," 
said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  might  have  said,  but  all  this  was  passed 
by  and  He  said  only:  'If  ]My  Kingdom  were  of  this  world,  My 
servants  would  fight  for  Me,  and  I  would  not  now  be  in  the 
hands  of  mine  enemies.' 

"Pi'late  in  surprise  asked:  'Art  thou  a  King,  then?'  Je'sus 
said  that  He  was  a  king  born  to  bear  witness  to  the  truth.  Then 
Pi'late  said:  'What  is  truth?' 

"Pi'late  now  turned  abruptly  to  the  accusers  and  said,  'I 
find  no  fault  in  Him  at  all.' 

"The  trial  of  Je'sus,  naturally,  would,  have  ended  here," 
said  Uncle  John,  "but  the  enemies  of  Je'sus  were  determined  to 
crucify  Him,  so,  in  order  to  bring  testimony  against  Him,  they 
spoke  of  His  work  in  Gal'i-lee. 

"When  Pi'late  heard  the  word  Gal  i-lee,  he  felt  he  could  free 
himself  of  all  responsibility  by  turning  the  whole  matter  over 
to  Her'od,  the  ruler  of  Gal'i-lee. 

"It  so  happened,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Her'od,  at  this 
very  moment,  was  in  the  city  of  Je-ru'sa-lem.  So  Je'sus  was 
brought  before  Her'od.  Her'od  was  glad  to  see  Je'sus,  for  he 
had  long  wanted  to  see  Him  perform  miracles,  but  Je'sus  dis- 
appointed him  in  this.  Then  Her'od  and  his  soldiers  mocked 
Je'sus,  arrayed  Him  in  a  gorgeous  robe  and  sent  Him  back  to 
Pi'late. 

"Pi'late  again  called  the  council  of  the  Jews  together,  tell- 
ing them  that  Her'od  had  found  no  fault  with  Je'sus,  endeavor- 
ing to  confirm  his  own  judgment. 

"Pi-late,"  said  Uncle  John,  "should,  at  this  time,  have  set 
Je'sus  free;  but,  in  the  vain  hope  of  satisfying  the  people,  he 
scourged  Him.  Then  the  people  cried  only  the  louder:  'Cru- 
cify Him,  crucify  Him!' 


Je'sus  and  Pon'ti-us  Pi'late 


211 


"Pi'late  was  like  a  drowning  man  clutching  at  anything  to 
save  himself.  Remembering  now  that  it  was  a  custom  at  the 
Pass'over  to  release  one  prisoner,  he  brought  out  Bar-ab'bas,  a 
murderer,  and  placing  him  beside  Je'sus  asked:  'Which  one  of 
these  shall  I  set  free?' 

"They  all  cried  out:  'Bar- 
ab'bas.'  When  Pi'late  saw 
that  his  plan  had  failed,  he 
asked:  'What  shall  I  do, 
then,  with  Je'sus  which  is 
called  Christ?' 

"They  cried  over  and  over 
again:  'Crucify  Him.'  Pi'- 
late's  courage  was  going, 
and  he  weakly  asked :  'Why, 
what  evil  hath  He  done  ?' 

"Pi'late  was  answered  by 
cries  of  'Away  with  Him,' 
'Crucify  Him!' 

"Pi'late  then  gave  Je'sus 
into  the  hands  of  His  en- 
emies, who  put  a  crown  of 
thorns  on  His  head  and  a 
reed  in  His  hands.  Before 
Him  they  bent  the  knee  in 
mockery  and  cried:     'Hail,  King  of  the  Jews!' 

"Pi'late  not  feeling  satisfied,  however,  led  Je'sus  forth  and 
said  to  the  people:  'Behold  the  Man.'  But  their  answer  was  the 
old  cry,  'Crucify  Him!'  Then  Pi'late  said:  'Take  ye  Him  and 
crucify  Him,  for  I  find  no  fault  in  Him.' 

"Pi'late,  however,  made  one  more  effort  to  release  Him. 
Looking  at  Je'sus  and  then  at  the  people  he  said:  'Behold  your 
King.' 


JESUS'  FAREWELL  TO  HIS  MOTHER. 


212  Je'sus  and  Pon'ti-iis  Pi'late 

"They  shouted  back:  'We  have  no  King  but  Cae'sar!  If  thou 
et  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Cae'sar's  friend!'  The  name  of 
Cae'sar  made  Pilate  much  afraid,  and  he  began  to  wash  his 
hands  before  the  people  and  to  say,  'I  am  innocent  of  the  blood 
of  this  just  person;  see  ye  to  it."  Then  Pilate  released  Bar- 
rab'bas,  the  murderer,  and  delivered  Je'sus  the  Sa'vior  of  the 
M^orld  over  to  His  accusers." 

"That  was  dreadful,  dreadful!"  said  Pau-line',  "I  wonder 
why  He  did  not  rise  up  and  defend  himself." 

"That  would  seem  natural,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  Je'sus 
had  a  better  way,  which  we  will  read  about  later  on." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LIX 

What  three  charges  did  they  now  bring  against  Jesus  ? 

What  question  did  Pilate  ask  Jesus? 

What  did  Pilate  then  ask  Jesus? 

What  did  Jesus  answer? 

What  question  did  Pilate  then  ask  and  what  did  Jesus  reply? 

What  did  Pilate  say  to  the  accusers  of  Jesus? 

To  whom  did  Pilate  send  Jesus  ? 

When  Jesus  refused  to  work  miracles  for  Herod,  what  did  Herod  dol 

Instead  of  setting  Jesus  free  what  did  Pilate  do? 

What  wicked  man  did  Pilate  bring  before  the  people  with  Jesus,  and 
what  did  he  ask? 

What  did  the  people  answer  should  be  done  with  Barabbas  and  what 
with  Jesus? 

To  whom  did  Pilate  then  deliver  Jesus,  and  what  did  tliey  do? 

When  Pilate  brought  Jesus  bleeding  before  them  what  did  they  do  ? 

How  did  the  people  frighten  Pilate  into  setting  Barabbas  free  and  con- 
senting to  Jesus'  death? 


CHAPTER  LX 


THE   CRU-CI-FIX  ION    OF  JE  SUS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

When  the  group  of  friends  gathered  in  the  afternoon,  Uncle 
John  suggested  that  they  sing,  'CaVva-ry'  which  they  did  with 
great  earnestness.  He  then  said:  "Nine  hours  had  come  and 
gone  since  Je'sus  was  arrested  in  Geth-sem'a-ne.     The  mockery 

of  trial  is  over,  and  the  rulers  and 
people  are  impatient  for  the  sent- 
ence to  he  carried  out. 

"The  cross 
upon  which  He 
was  to  be  cruci- 
fied was  placed 
upon  His  shoul- 


PLACE 
OF  THE 
FLAGEL 
LATION. 


ders,  and  He 
was  compelled 
to  carry  it  to 
the  place  where 
He  was  to  give 
up  His  life.  A 
centurion  with  one  hundred 
men   was   detailed   to   act   as 

guard.  These,  with  a  vast  multitude,  followed  Him  to  CalVa-ry. 
"The  only  record  we  have  of  sympathy  is  that  of  the  women 
who  stood  at  the  roadside.  The  bible  tells  us  they  wept  for  Him. 
Unmindful  of  His  own  sorrow,  Je'sus  told  them  not  to  weep 
for  Him,  but  ratlier  weep  for  themselves  and  for  their  children. 

218 


SPOT    WHERE 
THE  CROSS 
WAS    PLACED 
ON  JESUS' 
SHOULDERS. 


WHERE   CHRIST   SANIv   UNDER 
THE  BURDEN  OF  THE  CROSS. 


214 


The  Cru-ci-fix'ion 


"Soon  after  He  was  nailed  to  the  cross  a  vast  multitude  stood 
about,  waiting  for  some  word  from  Him,  something  to  prove 
His  Mes-si'ah-ship.  All  was  quiet,  then  they  heard  Him  say, 
'Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do' 

"Over  His  head,  on  the  cross,  Pi'late  had  placed,  on  a  tablet 
in  He'brew,  Greek,  and  Latin,  this  inscription:  The  King  of  the 

Jews.  The  men  who  had 
brought  Je'sus  to  the 
cross  were  much 
offended  by  this 
inscription;  and 
tried  to  per- 
suade Pilate  to 
change  it  so  it 
^^____  would  read :  'He 

WHERE  JESUS 
LEANED    FOR 
SUPPORT. 

said  He  was 
King  of  the 
Jews,'  but  Fil- 
iate refused  to 
grant  their 
quest,  saying : 
'What  I  have 
written  I  have  written.' 

"On  the  right  and  left  of  Je'sus 
two  thieves  were  crucified  with 
Him.  One  of  them  in  djdng 
turned  to  Je'sus  and  said:    'Lord, 

remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy  Kingdom.'  Je'sus  im- 
mediately answered  his  request  by  the  promise,  'To-day  thou  shalt 
be  with  me  in  Par'a-dise.' 


WHEKE 
JESUS    MET 
HIS   MOTHER. 


WHERE    CHRIST    ADDRESSED 
THE  LAMENTING  WOMEN. 


21 G  The  Cru-ci-fix'ion 

"Soon  after  the  cru-ci-fix'ioii  the  Chief  Priests  and  Phar'i- 
sees  passed  by,  mocking  and  crying  out :  'He  saved  others,  Him- 
self He  cannot  save!'  If  He  be  the  King  of  Is'ra-el  let  Him 
now  come  down  and  we  will  believe  on  Him.' 

"At  the  foot  of  the  cross  stood  Je'sus'  mother.  His  mother's 
sister,  Ma'ry,  the  wife  of  Cle'o-phas,  Ma'ry  Mag-da-le'ne  and 
the  beloved  A-pos'tle  John.  Je'sus,  to  the  last,  was  mindful  of 
His  mother's  sorrow  and  her  need.  Shortly  before  His  death 
He  told  John  to  care  for  the  mother  and  asked  her  to  look  upon 
John  as  her  son.  From  that  hour  John  took  Ma'ry  to  his  own 
home. 

"It  was  about  noon,"  said  Uncle  John,  "when  Je'sus  died, 
yet  it  became  so  dark  and  silent  that  all  present  were  sore  afraii. 
The  earth  quaked  and  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  from  top 
to  bottom. 

"Je'sus,  in  breathing  His  last,  said:  'Father,  into  Thy  hands 
I  commend  my  spirit.'  Then  dropping  His  head  on  His  breast 
said:  'It  is  finished.'  Thus  the  greatest  life  the  world  has  ever 
known  completed  His  work  of  the  world's  redemption. 

"These  things  convinced  the  Ro'man  soldiers  who  watched 
Je'sus  that  He  was  no  ordinary  man,  and  their  commander,  the 
cen-tu'ri-on,  went  so  far  as  to  declare:  'Truly,  this  was  the  Son 
of  God.' 

"The  bodies  of  the  two  thieves  were  taken  down  from  the 
cross  and  hurriedly  placed  in  a  shameless  grave;  but  Je'sus' 
body  remained  on  the  cross  until  Jo'seph  of  Ar-i-ma-thae'a  re- 
turned from  Pi'late's  palace  where  he  had  been  to  ask  that  the 
body  of  Je'sus  might  be  placed  in  his  own  tomb,  and  Pi 'late 
granted  the  request. 

"Nic-o-de'mus,  a  friend,  then  came  with  spices  to  embalm 
the  body.  The  tomb,  hewn  out  of  solid  rock,  was  in  a  garden 
not  far  from  CalVa-ry.  Here  they  lovingly  laid  Je'sus  and 
rolled  a  great  stone  against  the  door  of  the  sep'ul-chre.    After 


P0\^^"  FROM  TPIE  CROSS- 


THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST. 


FROM   PAINTING   BY   BRUNO   PIGLHXIU 


The   Cru-ci-fix'ion  219 

this  they  ^^laced  the  seal  of  the  Ro'man  government  on  the  tomb 
and  left  soldiers  to  guard  the  body." 

"Tell  me,  Uncle  John,"  said  Paul,  "what  did  Je'sus  mean 
when  he  told  the  thief,  who  asked  Him  to  remember  him  when 
he  entered  His  Kingdom,  'that  this  day  he  would  be  with  him  in 
Par'a-dise?'  "  "Je'sus'  language  was  simple,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"He  meant  that,  even  though  late,  inasmuch  as  he  showed  a 
desire  to  be  with  Je'sus  and  to  live  a  better  life,  it  was  possible 
to  enter  heaven." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LX 

Tell  how  Jesus  went  to  Calvary? 
Who  alone  seemed  to  sympathize  for  him? 
What  did  Jesus  say  to  them? 

Who  stood  about  the  cross,  and  what  did  they  hear? 
What  inscription  was  over  his  head  on  the  cross  ? 
What  did  Jesus  want  Pilate  to  write  as  an  inscription? 
Who  were  crucified  with  Jesus,  and  what  did  they  do? 
What  did  Jesus  say  in  reply? 

How  did  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  mock  Jesus? 
Who  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  ? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  John  and  his  mother  just  before  his  death? 
What  fearful  thing  happened  when  Jesus  died? 
What  prayer  did  Jesus  utter  when  dying? 
What  did  the  Roman  centurion  say? 
What  did  they  do  with  the  bodies  of  the  thieves? 
Who  buried  Jesus? 

Who  begged  Pilate  to  let  him  bury  Jesus? 

Who  embalmed  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  tell  what  they  did  when  they 
placed  Jesus  in  the  tomb. 


CHAPTER  LXI 

THE    FIRST   EASTER 

Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  August 

"Last  Sun'day,  dear  friends,"  said  Uncle  John,  "it  looked 
as  if  the  enemies  of  Je'sus  had  triumphed,  but,  to-day,  we  shall 
see  that  He  defeated  them  by  the  most  wonderful  method  ever 
recorded  in  history.  Although  out  of  sight,  the  friends  of  Je'- 
sus  did  not  forget  Him.  They  would  have  gone  to  the  sep'ul- 
chre  the  next  day  after  the  cru-ci-fix'ion,  but  it  was  the  Jew'ish 
Sab'bath,  so  they  waited  until  the  following  morning. 

"The  good  women,  who  were  at  the  cross,  carried  to  the  sep'- 
ul-chre  spices  to  more  thoroughly  embalm  the  body.  They  had 
forgotten  in  their  sorrow  that  there  was  a  stone  at  the  door  and 
that  the  soldiers  were  still  there  on  guard ;  but  on  their  way  they 
remembered  these  facts  and  asked  one  aonther:  'Who  will  roll 
away  the  stone  of  the  sep'ul-chre?' 

"They  were  still  debating  this  when  Ma'ry  Mag-da-le'ne, 
who  was  a  little  in  advance,  discovered  that  the  tomb  was  already 
open.  She  was  at  first  glad,  but  afterwards  saddened,  for  she 
found  that  the  Lord  whom  she  loved  was  gone.  Then  she  ran 
to  tell  Pe'ter  and  the  other  disciples  that  the  tomb  was  empty. 

"In  the  meantime  the  other  women  came  up  and,  finding 
the  sep'ul-chre  open,  went  in.  Imagine  their  surprise,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "when  there  before  them  appeared  angels  who 
said :  'Do  not  fear,  for  we  know  that  ye  seek  Je'sus  who  was  cru- 
cified; come,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay.'  Then  the  angels 
percei\'ing  their  surprise,  said:  'Why  seek  ye  the  living  among 
the  dead?'    'He  is  not  here.'     'He  is  risen.' 

"These,"  said  Uncle  John,  "are  the  glorious  words  which 
ushered  in  the  first  Easter  morning. 

230 


HE  HAS  RISEN, 


222 


The  First  Easter 


"In  the  meantime  Ma'ry 
Mag-da-le'ne  had  delivered 
her  message  to  Pe'ter  and 
John  and  they  came  run- 
ning to  the  sep'ul-chre  to 
see  whether  Ma'ry  had  told 
the  truth,  for  a  story  like 
this  they  did  not  know  how 
to  believe. 

"John,  who  was  younger 
than  Pe'ter,  arrived  at  the 
tomb  first  and  stooped  down 
to  look,  but  Pester  went  in, 
then  John  followed.  When 
they  saw  not  the  body  but 
the  clothes,  they  believed." 


JOHN  AND   THE   MOTHER  OF   JESUS. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXI 

Why  did  not  Jesus'  friends  go  to  the  sepulchre  the  next  day? 

What  did  the  good  woman  do  the  third  day? 

What  did  they  ask  one  another  on  their  way? 

What  did  Mary  Magdalene  do  when  she  came  up  ? 

Tell  what  the  other  women  did  and  saw. 

What  did  the  angel  say  to  the  women? 

Who  had  Mary  Magdalene  told,  and  what  did  they  do  ? 

What  did  Peter  and  John  do  when  they  came  to  the  tomb  ? 


CHAPTER  LXII 

je'sus  appears  to  ma'ry  mag-da-le'ne 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"After  jMa'iy  Mag-da-le'ne  had  told  Pe'ter  and  John  that 
the  body  of  Je'sus  was  gone,"  said  Uncle  John,  "she  returned  to 
the  tomb  and  wept.  Whilst  there  she  saw  two  angels  sitting, 
one  at  the  head,  the  other  at  the  foot.    They  said  to  her:  'Woman, 


ij-.^l:^   AiTEARS   UNTO  MARY. 
223 


224  He   Appears    Unto   Ma'ry   Mag-da-le'ne 

why  weepest  thou?'  She  replied:  'Because  they  have  taken  away 
my  Lord  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  Him.' 

"When  she  said  tliis,"  said  Uncle  John,  "she  saw  the  indis- 
tinct form  of  a  man,  standing  near,  whom  she  did  not  at  first 
recognize,  for  it  was  yet  early  in  the  morning.  In  the  uncertain 
light  she  thought  it  was  the  gardener.  He  said:  'Whom  seek- 
est  thou?'  She  pleaded  with  the  man  to  tell  her  where  the  body 
of  Je'sus  had  been  taken.  The  answer  was  that  of  her  own 
name,  'Ma'ry.'  The  voice  was  so  familiar  that  there  w-as  no 
mistaking  it.  Her  astonishment  and  joy  were  poured  out  in 
the  words,  'Rab-bo'ni,  my  Master.'  Then  she  fell  down  before 
the  risen  Lord.  She  was  so  rejoiced  that  she  put  out  her  hand 
as  if  to  cling  to  Him,  but  He  said  to  her,  'Touch  me  not.'  " 

"Why  did  Je'sus  say  this,  Uncle  John?"  asked  Pau-line'. 
"Well,"  said  Uncle  John,  "there  are  two  reasons;  one  is  that 
Je'sus  doubtless  wanted  to  assure  her  He  was  not  going  away 
again  in  like  manner,  and  that  she  need  not  cling  to  Him.  An- 
other reason  is  that  He  had  passed  from  the  mortal  to  the  im- 
mortal, that  is.  He  was  no  longer  of  the  earth  but  of  Heav'en. 

"Notwithstanding  her  joy,"  said  Uncle  John,  "we  judge  she 
was  somewhat  frightened,  for  Je'sus  said  to  her,  'Be  not  afraid ; 
go  tell  my  brethren  that  they  go  to  GaFi-lee,  and  there  shall 
they  see  Me.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXII 

While  Mary  Magdalene  wept  at  the  tomb  what  did  she  see? 

What  did  the  angel  ask,  and  what  did  she  reply? 

What  did  she  see,  and  whom  did  she  think  it  was  ? 

What  did  the  Master  say  to  her? 

What  did  she  ask  him  ? 

What  was  the  answer? 

What  did  Mary  then  do? 

Why  did  Jesus  tell  her  not  to  touch  him? 

Why  did  she  think  Mary  was  frightened? 


CHAPTER  LXIII 

THE    WALK   TO   EM'mA-US 

Morning  Lesson — Second  Sufiday  in  August 

"We  left  Je'sus  last  Sunday,"  said  Uncle  John,  "talking  to 
Ma'iy  Mag-da-le'ne  at  the  tomb.  To-day  we  find  Him  greeting 
two  disciples  on  their  way  to  Em'ma-us.  One  of  these  is  Cle'- 
o-phas;  the  other  is  not  known. 

"Je'sus  was  dead  as  they  thought,  and  they  were  going  from 
Je-ru'sa-lem  back  to  Em'ma-us,  their  old  home,  a  village  about 
seven  miles  northwest  from  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"They  had  heard  the  story  of  the  sep'ul-chre ;  that  the  stone 
had  been  rolled  away  and  that  the  tomb  was  empty,  but  it  M^as 
all  so  strange  that  they  were  in  doubt  as  to  whether  they  should 
believe  it  or  not.  The  women  were  truthful  women,  but  the  cir- 
cumstances were  so  strange  and  unreasonable  that  it  was  beyond 
credence. 

"They  were  talking  all  this  over  when,  of  a  sudden,  a  stran- 
ger joined  them.  This  stranger  having  noticed  that  they  were 
sad  and  seeing  the  puzzled  look  in  their  faces,  asked  what  they 
were  talking  so  earnestly  about  just  before  His  arrival. 

"I  suppose,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  disciples  were  surprised 
that  anyone  could  think  they  were  discussing  any  question  ex- 
cept the  one  which  was  affecting  all  Je-ru'sa-lem  at  this  time, 
namely,  the  Res-ur-rec'tion  of  Je'sus  from  the  dead.  So  they 
asked  Him  if  He  were  a  stranger  in  Je-ru'sa-lem,  implying  that 
He  must  be,  or  He  would  have  heard  about  the  wonderful  life 
of  Je'sus,  They  told  Him  that  they  had  expected  Je'sus  as 
a  IVIes-si'ah,  but  that  their  hopes  were  shattered  by  His  death 
upon  the  cross.    They  now  knew  not  what  to  believe. 

"The  stranger  then  took  the  scriptures  and  pointed  out  that 
it  was  predicted  that  Je'sus  would  suffer,  that  He  would  die,  be 
buried,  and  on  the  third  day  rise  again  from  the  dead. 

225 


226 


The  Walk  to  Emmaus 


"This  reasoning  of 
the  stranger  had  its  ef- 
fect on  the  disciples. 

"They  were  so  im- 
pressed with  the  story 
and  His  manner  that 
they  invited  Him  to  en- 
ter their  home  and  par- 
take, with  them,  of  the 
evening  meal.  He  ac- 
cepted the  invitation. 
At  the  table  He  was 
asked  to  give  thanks  to 
God  for  His  goodness. 
He  took  bread  and 
blessed  it  and  broke  and 
gave  to  them;  and  their 
eyes  were  opened  and 
they  knew  Him,  and  He 
vanished  from  their 
sight." 
"He  didn't  even  wait  to  eat,  did  He?"  said  one  of  the  little 
guests,  who  looked  upon  it  as  a  great  oversight  on  Je'sus'  part. 
"No,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  cared  not  so  much  to  eat  as  to 
do  good  and  prove  His  Mes-si'ah-ship. 

"So  these  two  disciples  had  the  rare  privilege  of  not  only 
feeling  Je'sus'  presence,  but  seeing  Him,  and  they  said  after- 
wards one  to  another:  'Did  not  our  hearts  burn  within  us  while 
He  talked  with  us  by  the  way,  and  while  He  opened  to  us  the 
scriptures?'  " 

"What  happened  after  that?"  asked  Pau-line'. 
"Thinking  they  might  be  the  only  ones  who  had  seen  Je'sus, 
they  arose  from  the  table,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and  returned  to 


ON  THE   ROAD   TO   EMMAUS. 


The  Walk  to  Em'ma-us  227 

Je-ru'sa-lem  to  tell  the  news.  •  On  their  arrival  they  found  the 
other  discijiles  at  the  evening  meal.  Pe'ter  had  already  told  of 
his  meeting  the  Mes-si'ah  and  when  the  disciples  from  Em'ma-us 
entered  the  room  they  were  met  by  the  exclamation:  'The  Lord 
hath  appeared  unto  Pe'ter!'  Then  the  two  told  of  their  walk 
and  talk  with  Je'sus  and  how  He  had  vanished  out  of  their 
sight. 

"And  now  again,  just  as  they  were  speaking,  Je'sus  Himself 
stood  in  the  midst  of  them  and  saith  unto  them:  'Peace  be  unto 
you.' 

"The  disciples  were  all  present  but  Thom'as.  When  Thom'as 
heard  of  it  he  could  not  believe.  It  seemed  too  good  to  be  true. 
Now,  on  the  second  Sab'bath,  all  met  again.  This  time  Thom'as 
was  with  them.  Whilst  the  doors  were  shut  and,  without  being 
opened,  Je'sus  suddenly  appeared  before  them. 

"The  risen  Lord  now  turned  to  Thom'as,  who  had  doubted, 
and  showed  Him  His  wounded  feet.  His  side  and  His  hands. 
Thom'as  knew  not  that  he  stood  before  Je'sus,  who  had  been 
crucified  and  had  risen.  As  his  doubts  melted  away  he  said :  'My 
Lord  and  my  God.' 

"This  was  a  great  day  for  the  disciples,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"they  never  forgot  it.  The  company  soon  broke  up  to  meet  later 
in  Gal'i-lee." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXIII 

Who  were  going  on  a  journey.'' 

What  were  they  talking  about,  and  who  appeared  to  them? 
What  did  the  two  tell  him  they  were  talking  about  ? 
What  did  the  stranger  do  after  they  told  him  these  things  ? 
How  were  the  disciples  impressed  and  affected  by  the  manner  of  the 
stranger? 

What  wonderful  thing  happened  at  the  supper  table? 

What  did  the  disciples  say  after  Jesus  had  gone? 

What  did  the  disciples  do  at  once? 

What  did  the  other  disciples  tell  them  as  thev  entered  the  room? 


CHAPTER  LXIV 

IN  gal'i-lee  again 
After  710011  Lesson 

"This  afternoon  our  lesson  is  about  Christ  as  He  meets  His 
A-pos'tles  in  GaFi-lee. 

"The  day  appointed  for  this  meeting  had  not  yet  come,  but 
Si'mon  Pe'ter,  Na-than'i-el,  James,  John  and  two  others,  whose 
names  we  do  not  know,  but  probably  Phil'ip  and  An'drew,  were 
back  again  on  the  shore  of  that  sea,  which  they  had  left  to  follow 
Je'sus. 

"The  water  was  before  them,  a  boat  was  at  hand,  night  was 
near;  the  best  time  of  the  day  for  fishing.  How  could  they  wait 
for  Je'sus  better  than  to  work  at  their  old  trade  of  catching  fish? 
So  Simmon  Pe'ter  said:  'I  go  a  fishing.'  Then  the  others  said: 
'We,  also,  go  with  thee.'    So  they  went  out  to  sea. 

"They  rowed,  sailed  and  cast  their  nets,  until  the  morning 
broke  on  the  sky.  They  had  fished  all  night  but  caught  nothing. 
Being  near  the  shore  they  looked  up  and  saw  a  man  standing  on 
the  beach  whom  they  did  not  know. 

"When  they  came  close  to  the  shore,  the  man  asked:  'Have 
ye  any  meat?'  meaning  had  they  caught  any  fish.  They  an- 
swered: 'No.'  The  stranger  said:  'If  you  will  cast  your  net 
on  the  right  side  of  your  boat  you  will  catch  fish.'  They  did  so 
and  to  their  surprise  the  net  swarmed  with  fishes. 

"John  now  knew  that  it  was  the  Mes-si'ah,  and  he  said  to 
Pe'ter:  'It  is  the  Lord.'  Pe'ter  at  once  cast  himself  into  the  sea 
and  went  to  shore  while  the  others  brought  the  ship  to  land.  On 
shore  was  a  bed  of  coals  and  fish  thereon  and  bread.  Je'sus  said 
to  them:  'Come  and  dine.'  When  they  counted  the  fish  they 
found  one  hundred  and  fifty-three,  and  yet  the  net  was  not 
broken. 

"After  they  had  dined,  Je'sus  said  to  Si'mon  Pe'ter:     'Si'- 

228 


In    Gal'i-lee    Again  229 

mon,  Son  of  Jo'nas,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these?'  Pe'ter 
saith  unto  Him:  'Yea  Lord,  Thou  knowest  that  I  love  Thee.' 
He  saith  unto  him:    'Feed  my  Lambs.' 

"So  three  times,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Je'sus  asked  Pe'ter: 
'Lovest  thou  me?'  Pe'ter  said  each  time  that  he  loved  Je'sus 
with  all  his  heart. 

"Three  times  he  had  denied  Je'sus;  three  times  he  must  tell 
his  love,  thus  Pe'ter  was  called  back  into  the  fold,  back  into  the 
work,  back  into  the  glory  of  caring  for  the  little  children  and 
the  grown  up  people  of  God's  kingdom." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXIV 

What  is  this  lesson  about  ? 

What  did  the  disciples  do  after  Jesus  went  away? 

After  fishing  all  night  what  did  they  see  on  the  shore? 

What  did  the  man  ask  them? 

What  did  the  stranger  say  to  them? 

What  did  John  say? 

What  did  Peter  do? 

What  had  J?sus  prepared  for  them? 

After  they  had  dined  what  did  Jesus  say  to  Peter? 

How  many  times  did  Jesus  ask  Peter  this  ? 

Why  did  he  ask  Jesus  this  question  three  times? 


CHAPTER  LXV 

je'sus^  last  meeting  on  earth 
Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  August 

"We  are  going  to  talk  this  morning,"  said  Uncle  John, 
*'about  Je'sus'  last  meeting  on  earth  with  His  friends.  This 
meeting  took  place  on  a  mountain.  No  one  knows  what  moun- 
tain, but  it  was  some  mountain  in  Gal'i-lee.  I  should  be  glad  to 
feel  that  it  was  the  same  mountain  as  the  one  on  which  He  de- 
livered His  greatest  sermon,  but  that  mountain,  you  remember 
I  told  you,  has  never  been  exactly  located. 

"The  friends  were  going  to  see  Him  again;  all  that  loved 
Him.    What  a  meeting  it  was  to  be! 

"Some  had  seen  Him  on  the  cross,  but  not  in  the  tomb,  nor 
yet  since  He  had  risen  from  the  dead.  They  were  told  that  He 
was  changed  in  outward  appearance.  So  to  this  mountain  they 
flocked  and  eagerly  awaited  His  coming. 

"Now  how  many  people,"  said  Uncle  John,  "were  there,  do 
you  think?"  The  children  hesitated,  then  Uncle  John  answered: 
"There  were  something  over  five  hundred  people.  They  rather 
expected  Je'sus  would  walk  up  the  mountain  as  He  had  done  in 
times  past  but,  whilst  they  were  talking  together.  He  came  in 
their  midst  and  spoke  to  them.  They  knew  His  voice;  they 
never  forgot  it. 

"We  do  not  know  how  He  came  nor  where  He  came  from. 
No  one  knew,  but  'when  they  saw  Him,  they  worshiped  Him.' 

"What  do  you  imagine  He  said  to  them?  What  message  do 
you  think  He  left  which  they  could  never  forget?"  said  Uncle 
John.  "I  have  no  doubt  but  that  He  talked  at  length,  yet  we  do 
not  know,  for  only  a  little  that  He  said  has  been  recorded. 

"It  is  summed  up  like  a  command  issued  by  a  general  to  his 
army;  in  the  following  words:  'All  power  is  given  unto  Me  in 
heaven  and  earth.      Go  ye,  therefore,  and    teach  all  nations, 

230 


The  Last  Meeting  231 

baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost;  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatso- 
ever I  command  you;  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world.     Amen.'  " 

"Strange  is  it  not,"  said  Paul,  "that  Je'sus  never  seemed  to 
think  of  Himself  but  always  of  others,  saying  to  His  friends: 
'Go  teach  all  nations  to  observe  all  things!'  "Don't  forget  to 
add,"  said  Pau-line',  "  'and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXV 

Where  did  Jesus'  last  meeting  take  place? 

Why  had  the  people  gone  there  to  meet  him? 

How  many  people  were  present? 

How  did  Jesus  come  to  them? 

What  do  you  imagine  he  said  to  them? 

Tell  the  principal  thing  that  Jesus  said  to  them. 


CHAPTER  LXVI 

THE  ASCENSION   OF   JE'SUS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"When  Je'sus  had  finished  talking  to  the  five  hundred  peo- 
ple He  disappeared  as  suddenly  as  He  came.  They  all  waited 
a  little  while  and  then  disapjjeared  with  regret,  the  A-pos'tles 
returning  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  to  meet  Je'sus,  at  His  request,  for  the 
last  time,  and  the  friends  returning  home. 

"The  A-pos'tles  did  not  know  the  object  of  this  meeting  in 
Je-ru'sa-lem,  but  Je'sus  did.  He  wished  them  to  remain  there 
until  the  Holy  Spir'it  should  come  upon  them  and  fit  them  for 
preaching  the  gospel  to  the  world. 

"He  told  the  A-pos'tles  to  teach  the  Old  Tes'ta-ment  prophecy 
of  the  JNIes-si'ah  as  now  fulfilled  and  relocated  what  He  had  told 
them  before;  to  go  and  preach  the  gospel,  not  only  in  Je-ru'sa- 
lem  but  in  'the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.' 

"The  meeting  ended,  and  as  He  had  led  them  out  before  His 
cru-ci-fix'ion  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  to  pray,  so  now  He  led 
them  out  to  the  same  sacred  spot  to  say  farewell. 

"He  was  not  far  from  Beth'le-hem,  where  the  angels  had 
announced  His  birth.  He  was  not  far  from  the  Tem'ple  in 
which  He  had  received  His  name,  'Je'sus.'  He  was  close  by  the 
river  Jor'dan,  sacred  because  of  His  baptism  and  the  announce- 
ment to  the  world  that  'Je'sus  was  the  Mes-si'ah.'  He  was  close 
to  Beth'a-ny,  full  of  precious  memories,  and  closer  still  to  Geth- 
sem'a-ne,  where  He  had  often  prayed,  and  where,  at  last,  He 
had  been  betrayed  by  Ju'das.  Not  far  off  was  CalVa-ry,  where 
He  had  died  that  all  the  world  might  live,  and  closer  still  was 
his  empty  tomb! 

"He  recalled  all  these  things;  then  turning  to  His  disciples. 
He  lifted  up  His  hand  and  blessed  them.  Then  suddenly  a 
cloud  received  Him  out  of  their  midst. 

232 


THE  ASCENSION. 


234  The  Ascension 

"The  A-pos'tles  had  thought  of  many  earthly  triumphs  for 
Je'sus,  but  this  glorious  ascension,  this  victory,  surpassed  all 
their  expectations. 

"He  had  left  old  Je-ru'sa-lem  for  the  New  Je-ru'sa-lem ! 
Je-ru'sa-lem  the  Holy,  Je-ru'sa-lem  the  Golden!  In  old 
Je-ru'sa-lem,  the  children  and  the  people  had  filled  the  air  with 
Ho-san'nas,  but  now  in  the  Heav'en-ly  Je-ru'sa-lem,  the  mul- 
titudes met  Him,  crying:     'Welcome!'  and  'Ho-san'na!' 

"As  Je'sus  ascended  to  heaven,  two  angels  said  to  the  dis- 
ciples :  'Why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven?  This  same  Je'sus 
which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven  shall  come  in  like  man- 
ner as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven.'  " 

"What  became  of  the  disciples  after  Je'sus  went?"  said 
Pau-line'. 

"The  disciples,"  said  Uncle  John,  "now  returned  to  Je-ru'- 
sa-lem  to  wait  and  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  Christ  said 
He  would  send  them. 

"Je'sus'  name,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  first  spoken  on  earth 
by  the  angel  Ga'bri-el,  who  said  to  Ma'ry,  His  mother,  before 
His  birth:    'Thou  shalt  call  His  name  Je'sus.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXVI 

After  Jesus  had  gone,  what  did  the  people  and  the  apostles  do  ? 
What  did  Jesus  want  the  apostles  to  do  in  Jerusalem? 
After  talking  to  the  apostles  in  Jerusalem  where  did  Jesus  take  them 
to  say  farewell? 

Tell  some  of  the  places  he  was  close  to. 

As  Jesus  recalled  these  things  what  did  he  do  ? 

As  Jesus  ascended  to  heaven  what  did  the  angels  say  to  the  disciples  ? 

What  did  the  disciples  now  do? 

Tell  when  Jesus'  name  was  first  spoken  on  each. 


RUINS  OF  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH  AT  EUROTH. 

CHAPTER  LXVII 

BEGINNING    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH 

Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  August 

"To-day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "we  begin  the  life  of  the  A-pos'- 
tles.  Je'sus'  work  on  earth  was  finished,  but  He  had  trained  His 
a-pos'tles  to  take  it  up  where  He  left  off  and  carry  it  forward. 
He  requested  them  to  go  to  all  nations,  preach  the  gospel,  heal 
the  sick,  and  do  all  manner  of  good  works. 

"Je'sus  had  gone  home  to  heaven,  and  the  a-pos'tles  are  for 
the  first  time  without  the  presence  of  their  great  leader." 

"Uncle  John,"  interrupted  Paul,  "what  was  the  first  thing 
the  disciples  did  after  Je'sus  went  up  into  heaven?" 

"The  a-pos'tles,"  said  Uncle  John,  "went  back  to  the  upper 
room  in  Je-ru'sa-lem.  There  were  now  only  eleven  a-pos'tles. 
Ju'das,  as  you  know,  was  dead. 


236 


Beginning  of  the  Church 


NAVE  OF  CHURCH  OF  THE  NATIVITY. 


"Among  other  things,  Pe'ter  proposed  that  Ju'das'  place 
should  be  given  to  some  one  who  had  known  Je'sus  from  the 
time  of  His  baptism  up  to  the  hour  of  His  ascension  into  heaven. 
Tliis  was  agreed  upon  by  the  whole  company.  There  were,  at 
least,  two  men,  Jus'tus  and  Mat-thi'as,  so  their  names  were  pre- 
sented to  the  assembled  a-pos'tles. 

"Prayer  was  offered  by  the  disciple  that  they  might  be  guided 
in  their  choice,  then  they  cast  their  ballots.  The  votes  showed 
that  Mat-thi'as  was  to  complete  the  number,  making  up  the 
twelve  a-pos'tles. 

"How  many  people,"  said  Uncle  John,  "do  you  think  at- 
tended the  first  meeting?"  The  children  could  not  guess,  so 
Uncle  John  said,  "There  were  just  one  hundred  and  twenty,  and 
that  was  the  beginning  of  God's  church  on  earth." 


^^^SJJJ^aw^i^.^Mi!fca4.:^ 


CHURCH   OF  THE  NATIVITY— BETHLEHEM. 

CHAPTER  LXVIII 

DAY   OF  PEN'TE-COST 

Afternoon  Lesson 

When  the  children  and  friends  gathered  in  the  afternoon, 
they  sang  the  hymn,  Je'sus,  I,  my  cross  have  taken,  all  to  leave 
and  folloic  Thee"  This  was  done  at  Uncle  John's  suggestion, 
for  he  believed  it  best  represented  the  mind  of  the  disciples  at 
this  time. 

"We  are  to  talk  about  the  Daj^  of  Pen'te-cost  this  afternoon," 
said  Uncle  John,  "and  can  any  one  tell  me  what  Pen'te-cost 
means?" 

Willie  Alden,  a  large,  brown  eyed  fellow  who  had  been  much 
to  Sunday  School,  said  that  it  meant  Fifty.  "Thank  you  Willie, 
that  is  right,"  said  Uncle  John.  "It  was  so  called  because  it  was 
the  fiftieth  day  from  the  Passover. 

"The  Day  of  Pen'te-cost  was  a  day  set  aside,  before  the 
a-pos'tles'  time,  to  thank  God  for  the  harvest.  The  Chris'tian 
church  changed  the  meaning  of  Pen'te-cost,  they  celebrate  it  in 
commemoration  of  the  Ho'ly  Spir'it,  whom  Je'sus  setn  as  a 
Comforter. 

237 


238 


Day  of  Pentecost 


"The  first  Chris'tian  Pen'te-cost  fell  on  Sat'ur-day,  nine 
days  after  Je'sus  had  gone  to  heaven.  On  that  Sat'ur-day  morn- 
ing the  a-pos'tles,  with  the  early  members  of  the  church,  met  to- 
gether for  worship. 

"They  came  to  the  upper  room  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  with  one  ac- 
cord, just  as  if  Je'sus  were  leading  them.     Whilst  they  were 


CHURCH  OF  THE   HOLY   SEPULCHRE— JERUSALEM. 

praying,  a  sound  broke  on  their  ears.  It  was  like  the  roaring  of 
a  mighty  wind  and  filled  the  whole  house  where  they  were  sit- 
ting. It  was  not  a  storm  for  nothing  was  shaken  or  moved.  It 
came  from  heaven,  and  was  a  sign  that  the  great  promise  of 
Je'sus  was  to  be  fulfilled,  they  were  to  receive  the  Holy  Spir'it. 
"When  the  sound  died  away,  a  most  remarkable  sight  met 
their  eyes;  tongues  which  looked  like  fire  sat  upon  their  heads. 
But  they  were  not  frightened  for  they  knew  that  it  came  from 
the  Mes-si'ah.     The  meeting  of  prayer  was  now  changed  into 


Day  of  Pentecost 


239 


MOUNT  OLIVET. 


one  of  praise.  Feeling  that  they  ought  not  to  stay  in  the  upper 
room  but  should  go  out  and  tell  the  world  what  had  happened, 
they  went  out  into  the  streets  of  Je-i*u'sa-lem. 

"In  the  streets  were  people  from  every  part  of  the  earth,  and 
the  disciples  spoke  to  the  crowds  in  all  languages.  Some  of  the 
people  said:  "How  can  these  men  do  this?  they  are  unlearned." 
Others  mocked,  saying  they  are  full  of  wine. 

"Pe'ter,  at  this  point  came  forward  saying:  'You  men  of 
Ju-de'a,  and  especially  you  who  live  in  Je-ru'sa-lem,  give  at- 
tention! Wonderful  things  have  happened,  and  this  has  led  you 
to  say  that  we  are  drunken.  It  is  too  early  in  the  day  for  that, 
I  can  however  explain  our  conduct  to  you.' 

"Pe'ter  then  said  in  substance:  'Eight  hundred  years  ago 
a  prophet  prophesied  this  very  event  which  is  now  taking  place. 


240  Day  of  Pentecost 

He  said  a  Mes-si'ah  would  live  among  you  like  a  man,  that  this 
same  Mes-si'ah  would  be  put  to  death  and  that  God  would  raise 
him  from  the  dead.  This  has  all  come  true  and  we  have  seen 
Him  ascend  into  heaven. 

"  'Before  his  death,'  continued  Pe'ter,  'the  Mes-si'ah  told  us 
that  he  would  send  the  Holy  Spir'it  upon  us  and  that  we  should 
wait  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  until  that  power  came.  To-day  His  Ho'ly 
Spir'it  has  come  and  these  things  which  you  see  are  the  evidences 
of  His  presence.' 

"Many  who  listened  were  touched  by  what  Pester  said  and 
asked  what  they  should  do  to  inherit  eternal  life.  His  reply  was : 
'Repent  ye,  and  be  baptized,  everyone  of  you,  in  the  name  of 
Je'sus  Christ.' 

"Many,  then  and  there  took  his  advice,  receiving  Je'sus  as 
their  SaVior.  Over  3,000  came  into  the  church.  So  the  day  of 
Pen'te-cost  signifies  all  these  wonderful  things  to  the  Chris'tian 
church." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXVIII 

What  hymn  did  the  children  sing  in  the  afternoon,  and  why  ?  *" 

What  is  this  lesson  about? 

What  does  Pentecost  mean,  and  why  was  it  so  called? 

Why  was  Pentecost  celebrated  before  Christ's  time? 

Why  is  it  now  celebrated? 

What  happened  while  they  were  praying  on  Pentecost  morning? 

What  was  this  sound  the  sign  of? 

When  the  sound  died  away,  what  remarkable  sight  met  their  eyes?- 

What  did  the  disciples  now  do? 

Where  did  the  disciples  now  go,  and  for  what  ? 

What  did  the  people  say  about  their  speaking  diiTcrent  languages  ? 

What  did  Peter  say  to  the  people  of  Jerusalem? 

What  did  Peter  tell  them  had  happened  800  years  ago  ? 

What  did  Peter  say  Jesus  had  told  them  before  his  death? 

What  did  Peter  tell  the  people  they  must  do  to  be  saved? 

How  many  came  into  the  church  that  day? 


CHAPTER  LXIX 

APPOINTING   DEa'cONS 

Morning  Lesson — Fi?'st  Sunday  in  September 

"You  see  how  the  early  church  grew  on  the  day  of  Pen'te- 
cost,"  said  Uncle  John.  "People  united  in  great  numbers  and 
many  more  were  added  daily. 

"The  early  Chris'tian  church  made  a  special  effort  to  make 
all  men  equal  and  to  help  the  poor,  for  they  had  been  neglected. 
In  addition  to  the  poor  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  there  were  poor  from 
different  parts  of  the  Ro'man  Em'pire  visiting  Je-ru'sa-lem  at 
this  time  who  had  been  converted. 

"Besides  this,  there  were  aged  men  and  women  and  orphans 
to  be  provided  with  shelter,  food  and  clothing,  and  beyond  this 
there  were  expenses  to  be  provided  for  which  is  natural  to  any 
church  work. 

"The  Chris'tians  met  all  these  demands  in  the  finest  sort  of 
a  spirit.  They  not  only  opened  their  houses  for  the  visiting 
strangers,  but  sold  whatever  they  could  spare  and  brought  the 
proceeds  to  the  a-pos'tles.  Some  of  the  strangers  helped  greatly. 
&fte  man,  Bar'na-bas,  by  name,  from  the  island  of  Cy'prus,  sold 
much  land  and  gave  to  the  church.  In  fact  it  is  said  that  all 
Chris'tians  of  that  time  spent  their  wealth  to  help  the  good 
cause  forward. 

"But  all  this  brought  a  good  deal  of  work  to  the  a-pos'tles. 
They  were,  in  fact,  unable  to  attend  to  the  work  of  distribu- 
tion and  to  carry  on  the  preaching,  so  they  asked  the  church  to 
choose  seven  men  of  good  report,  who  would  take  charge  of 
this  fund,  look  after  the  poor,  and  attend  to  the  business  inter- 
ests of  the  church.  The  church  did  so,  selecting  seven  men, 
whom  they  called  Dea'cons. 

"We  ought  to  know  the  names  of  these  men,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "for  two  of  them,  Ste'phen  and  PhiFip,  were  great  lead- 

241 


242 


Appointing  the  Deacons 


EXTERIOR  OF  THE  TOMB  OF  CHRIST 

ers.  Ste'phen  became  the  first  Chris'tian  martyr  and  Pliirip  be- 
came a  great  preacher.  Besides  Ste'phen  and  Phirip  there  were 
Proch'or-us,  Ni-ca'nor,  Ti'mon,  Par'me-nas  and  Nic'o-las.  It 
is  good  to  think  that  these  men  not  only  served  the  church  well, 
but  that  they  became  heroes  in  the  army  of  Je'sus." 

"How  was  Ste'phen  Martyred,  Uncle  John?"  asked  Pau- 
line'. "I  will  tell  you  some  other  day  my  girl,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"you  must  not  anticipate  my  story  too  much  for  we  will  have  it 
all  in  good  time." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXIX 

What  did  the  early  Christian  church  try  to  do? 

What  ought  to  be  provided  for? 

What  did  the  Christians  do? 

What  did  Barnabas  do? 

What  did  the  apostles  now  request  the  church  to  choose? 

Name  two  of  the  deacons  and  tell  what  became  of  them. 


CHAPTER  LXX 

THE  PI^VCE  WHERE  THE  A-POS'TLES  WERE   RAISED 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Before  we  begin  with  the  lives  of  the  A-pos'tles,"  said  Uncle 
John  to  the  children  and  friends,  "I  think  we  should  know 
something  about  the  country  where  most  of  them  lived. 

"The  majority  of  the  A-pos'tles  were  born  in  Gal'i-lee,  the 
northern  part  of  the  Ho'ly  Land. 

"In  the  days  of  the  A-pos'tles,  GaFi-lee  was  not  wholly  in- 
habited by  Jews.  Other  races  were  mixed  with  them ;  these  were 
called  Gen'tiles. 

"The  customs  of  the  Gen'tiles  differed  from  the  Jews.  They 
spoke  the  language  of  a  foreign  nation  and  worshipped  false 
Gods. 

"The  country  was  not  isolated  for  it  had  great  mercantile 
communication  with  the  outside  world. 

'The  E-gyp'tians  came  up  from  E'gypt,  their  camels  loaded 
with  merchandise  to  exchange  for  spices  and  balms.  The  mer- 
chants of  Da-mas'cus  came  to  trade  with  the  large  cities  of  the 
Ho'ly  Land. 

"The  most  populous  spot  in  Gal'i-lee  was  on  the  border  of 
the  sea  of  GaFi-lee.  It  was  only  a  little  sea,  something  like  thir- 
teen miles  long,  eight  miles  wide,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  deep  at  the  greatest  depth,  but  it  was  wonderfully  rich.  On 
the  west  side  of  the  sea  were  rich  plains  and  on  the  east  high  cliffs 
and  deep  gorges. 

"The  lake  had  a  beach  of  white  sand  often  thronged  with 
people. 

"Four  thousand  vessels  floated  on  its  waters,  some  for  pleas- 
ure, some  for  fishing  and  others  for  merchandise.  Vast  quan- 
tities of  fish  were  caught  and  shipped  to  foreign  cities. 

"Now,  on  the  far  shore  is  a  bay,  sheltered  by  hills  and  cliffs. 

243 


244  Where  the  A-pos'tles   Were  Raised 

Here  stood,  at  the  time  of  the  a-pos'tles,  a  httle  town  called 
Beth-sa'ida,  better  known  as  The  House  of  Fish.  It  was  in  this 
town  that  five,  at  least,  of  the  a-pos'tles  were  born. 

"Je'sus  was  a  carpenter  from  Naz'a-reth,  but  most  of  his 
a-pos'tles  were  fishermen  from  Beth-sa'ida.  I  have  told  you 
about  the  country,  the  foreigners,  the  merchants,  and  the  sea, 
that  you  might  understand  that  the  a-pos'tles  of  Je'sus  saw 
and  knew  a  great  deal  about  the  world  before  they  began  work- 
ing for  God." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXX 

Where  were  most  of  the  apostles  born? 
Who  lives  in  Galilee? 

How  did  the  Gentiles  differ  from  the  Jews? 
Who  came  to  pray  with  the  Galileans? 
Tell  about  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 


CHAPTER  LXXI 

pe'ter's  boyhood 
Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  September 

The  friends  were  out  in  full  force  to  hear  the  first  story  of 
one  of  the  A-pos'tles.  "We  shall  begin  with  Pe'ter,"  said  Uncle 
John.  "Scholars  do  not  know  when  Pe'ter  was  born,  but  they 
think  he  was  about  the  same  age  as  Je'sus.  His  native  town  was 
Beth-sa'ida,  a  fishing  village,  as  we  said  last  Sun'day,  on  the 
shore  of  the  sea  of  Gari-lee. 

"His  father's  name  was  Jo'na  or  John.  Jo'na  had  two  sons, 
one  of  whom  was  Si'mon,  called  Pe'ter,  the  other  was  An'drew, 
younger  than  Pe'ter.  Pe'ter  and  An'drew  both  helped  their 
father  in  his  business,  which  was  that  of  fishing,  so  it  was  easy 
for  them  to  become  fishermen. 

"Being  dutiful  boys  they  did  household  duties,  such  as  bring- 
ing in  the  lamps,  filling  them  with  oil  and  trimming  the  wicks. 
They  carried  the  olives  from  the  orchard,  the  water  from  the 
spring  to  fill  the  great  earthen  water  jars.  They  carried  char- 
coal to  cook  the  evening  meal,  bread  from  the  ovens  and  all  sorts 
of  work  for  their  father  and  mother.  Sometimes  they  went  on 
the  flat  roofs  of  the  houses  and  spread  the  flax  and  the  corn  so 
that  it  could  dry. 

"When  Pe'ter  grew  older  he  went  to  the  beach  and  spread 
his  father's  nets  on  the  sand  to  dry,  or  worked  at  the  oars  in  the 
boat,  or  spread  the  sails.  Pe'ter  had  fine  companions,  he  had 
James,  John  and  PhiFip,  his  brother  An'drew.  These  friend- 
ships began  in  childhood,  and  lasted  all  through  life. 

"Pe'ter  had  a  good  mother  who  taught  him  about  great  heroes 
of  the  past.  She  told  him  of  Jo'seph,  who  became  a  great  man 
in  E'gypt;  of  Mo'ses,  the  babe  who  was  placed  in  the  bulrushes; 
of  Sam'uel,  whose  mother  loaned  him  to  God;  of  Da'vid,  who 
slew  the  giant  Go-li'ath  and  of  Dan'iel,  who  was  in  the  lion's 

245 


246  Pe'ter's   Boyliood 

den.  Not  only  did  she  tell  him  about  these  boys  but  she  taught 
him  to  look  for  the  Mes-si'ah,  whom  he  later  met  and  served. 

"Beth-sa'ida  had  a  syn'a-gogue  and  there  was  a  school  at- 
tached to  it.  Pe'ter  attended  this  school  but  he  never  attended 
any  of  the  great  schools,  so  he  was  called  an  unlearned  man." 

"Uncle  John,"  said  Paul,  "what  kind  of  a  boy  was  Pe'ter?" 
"Pe'ter,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  frank,  impulsive,  venturesome 
and  courageous.  He  was  a  leader  among  boys  and  the  first  to 
say.  'Let  us  row  across  the  lake,'  no  matter  what  the  weather; 
or  to  plunge  into  it,  no  matter  what  the  temperature.  He  would 
climb  the  mountains  fastest  or  go  farthest  into  a  dangerous  ra- 
vine. He  liked  to  command  rather  than  to  persuade  and  often 
spoke  out  his  mind,  not  caring  if  he  offended  or  pleased  his 
friends.  But  he  had  a  deeply  affectionate  nature  and  because 
of  this  his  imperfections  grew  less  and  less  until  he  became  one 
of  the  noblest  men  in  the  world." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXI 

Tell  all  you  can  about  Peter. 

Tell  what  they  did  as  young  men  before  they  met  Jesus. 
What  about  Peter's  mother  and  what  did  she  teach  him? 
What  kind  of  a  boy  was  Peter? 


CHAPTER  LXXII 

HOW  pe'ter  received  his  name 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"What  is  there  in  a  name?"  said  Uncle  John  to  the  children 
as  thej^  met  in  the  afternoon.  No  one  answering  Uncle  John, 
Iiimself,  replied:  "I  am  sure  we  shall  find  a  good  deal  in  Pe'ter's 
name. 

"Before  telHng  you  about  his  name,  however,  I  am  going  to 
ask  you,  Paul,  to  tell  me  when  Pe'ter's  name  is  first  mentioned 
in  connection  with  Je'sus'  life."  "I  don't  just  remember,  do  you 
Pau-hne'?"  asked  Paul.  "Yes,"  said  Pau-line',  "I  remember 
well.  It  was  when  An'drew,,  his  brother,  went  to  him  and 
asked  him  to  come  and  see  Je'sus." 

"Good,  my  girl,"  said  Uncle  John.  "I  hope  you  won't  for- 
get it.  Well,  when  Pe'ter  stood  before  Je'sus,  our  Lord  fixed 
his  eyes  upon  him  saying:  'Thou  art  Si'mon  Pe'ter  the  son  of 
Jo'na,'  then  Je'sus  added  these  words:  'Thou  shalt  be  called 
Ce'phas,'  which  means  a  stone,"  said  Uncle  John. 

"So  Si'mon,  the  wavering  boy,  the  rash  boy,  passed  away 
into  Pe'ter,  the  Man  of  Rock.  We  do  not  know  what  Pe'ter 
said,  perhaps  he  did  not  say  anything.  But  we  may  rest  as- 
sured that  Je'sus'  words  and  the  new  name  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion upon  him,  for  he  gradually  became  that  strong  character, 
which  the  name  implies,  Pe'ter,  the  Man  of  Rock." 

"Had  Je'sus  ever  seen  Pe'ter  before?"  asked  Paul.  "No," 
said  Uncle  John,  "nor  had  he  heard  of  him,  neither  had  he  heard 
of  his  father  Jo'na.  But  Je'sus,  when  he  saw,  knew  him  because 
of  His  divine  power." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXII 

Toll  when  Peter's  name  was  first  mentioned  in  connection  with  Jesus' 
life. 

247 


CHAPTER  LXXIII 

pe'ter  at  the  gate  of  the  tem'ple 
Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  September 

*'Our  lesson  to-day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "begins  with  Pe'ter's 
work,  shortly  after  Je'sus  had  gone  to  heaven.  What  he  did 
whilst  the  SaVior  was  in  the  world,  I  have  already  told  you.  We 
now  look  at  him  as  the  leading  A-pos'tle  who  carried  on  Je'sus' 
work  after  Je'sus  had  gone  to  heaven. 

"To-day  we  will  talk  of  the  first  miracle  which  Pe'ter  per- 
formed. The  incidents  are  as  follows:  Pe'ter  accompanied  by 
John,  the  beloved  disciple,  went  up  to  the  Tem'ple  to  pray.  It 
was  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  When  they  reached  the 
Tem'ple  they  entered  by  what  is  termed  'The  Beautiful  Gate.' 
A  beggar,  who  had  been  born  lame,  sat  at  this  gate.  As  he  was 
now  forty  years  of  age  and  had  been  begging  many  years  in  the 
same  place,  he  was  known  to  everybody  in  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"When  the  beggar  saw  Pe'ter  and  John  he  asked  them  for 
money,  just  as  he  did  every  one  who  entered.  In  reply  to  this 
entreaty  Pe'ter  said:  'Look  on  us.'  When  the  beggar  had  fixed 
his  eyes  on  the  a-pos'tles,  Pe'ter  said:  'Silver  and  gold  have  I 
none,  but  such  as  I  have  give  I  unto  thee.  In  the  name  of  Je'sus 
of  Naz'a-reth  rise  up  and  walk.'  When  the  man,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "realized  what  had  been  done  he  leaped,  then  stood  and 
then  walked,  going  with  the  a-pos'tles  up  to  the  Tem'ple  and 
praising  God. 

"The  a-pos'tles  and  their  new  friend  finished  their  evening 
prayers  and  left  the  Tem'ple  together.  The  healed  man  felt 
that  he  could  not  part  from  the  friends  who  had  done  so  much 
for  him,  so  he  held  to  them.  This  drew  the  people  toward  them 
and  they  became  the  center  of  a  great  crowd. 

"Pe'ter  was  deeply  impressed  by  the  earnestness  of  the  crowd 
and  he  said  to  them:     'Why  are  you  surprised  at  this  man,  or 

248 


APOSTLE  PETER. 


250  Pe'ter  at  the  Gate 

why  do  you  look  on  us  as  if  we  had  done  this  by  our  own  power? 
This  man  is  healed  by  the  power  of  God.' 

"At  this  point  there  was  heard  the  tramp  of  soldiers,  coming 
to  arrest  Pester  and  John.  As  it  was  evening  and  too  late  for 
trials,  they  were  kept  in  custody  till  morning.  The  a-pos'tles 
were  then  brought  before  the  council;  the  man  who  had  been 
healed  was  there  also  and  many  people  beside. 

"The  council  asked  the  a-pos'tles  in  whose  name  and  by  what 
power  they  had  performed  this  healing.  Pe'ter  told  them 
Je'sus';  upon  hearing  this  they  forbade  them  to  speak  or  teach 
in  Je'sus'  name. 

"In  reply  Pe'ter  and  John  answered:  'We  have  received 
our  commands  from  God;  is  it  not  better  to  obey  God  rather 
than  men?'  " 

"What  did  they  do  with  Pe'ter  and  John,  Uncle,"  asked 
Paul.  "Nothing  dear  boy,  they  concluded  it  was  wise  to  let  them 
go  for  the  time  being." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXIII 

What  does  this  lesson  begin  with?  , 

What  did  Peter  do  in  this  lesson? 

Who  sat  at  the  beautiful  gate? 

What  did  he  ask  Peter  and  John? 

What  did  Peter  answer  him? 

Tell  how  the  man  obeyed  Peter, 

What  did  the  man  do  when  Peter  and  John  were  about  to  go  away  ? 

What  did  Peter  say  to  the  surprised  people? 

What  did  the  soldiers  do  to  Peter  and  John? 

What  did  the  council  ask  Peter  and  John  the  next  morning? 

What  did  they  forbid  them  doing? 

How  did  Peter  answer  them? 


CHAPTER  LXXIV 

pe'ter  purifying  the  church 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"This  afternoon,"  said  Uncle  John,  "we  are  going  to  talk 
about  Pe'ter  purifying  the  church.  It  is  quite  different  from 
any  talk  we  have  yet  had.  It  is  not  so  much  about  Pe'ter,  how- 
ever, as  about  two  members  of  the  early  church  over  wliich  Pe'ter 
had  charge. 

"You  remember  that  the  disciples  loved  each  other  very 
much,  and  they  were  so  generous  to  one  another  that  no  one 
called  anything  his  own;  they  lived  as  one  large,  happy  family. 
The  rich  made  sacrifices  for  the  poor  and  even  sold  houses  and 
land  to  do  so.  A  fund  was  formed  for  this  purpose  and  dis- 
tribution was  made  unto  each,  according  as  any  one  had  need. 

"Now  these  two  people,  whom  I  spoke  about  as  being  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  were  An-a-ni'as  and  Sap-phi'ra,  husband  and 
wife.  They,  like  many  people  of  to-day,  thought  they  could 
deceive  God.  Well  the  long  and  short  of  it  was,  they  were 
wealthy,  which  was  all  right.  They  did  not  need  to  give  all  their 
wealth  to  the  church  unless  they  wished  to,  but  here  is  where  the 
sin  lay;  they  sold  some  land  and  An-a-ni'as  came  to  Pe'ter  and 
laid  a  part  of  it  at  his  feet,  infering  that  he  had  brought  it  all. 

"Now,  Pe'ter  had  been  prepared  by  the  Ho'ly  Spir'it  to  see 
all  that  was  passing  in  the  mind  of  An-a-ni'as.  So  Pe'ter  said 
to  him:  'Why  hath  Sa'tan  filled  thy  heart  to  deceive  the  Ho'ly 
Spir'it  and  to  keep  back  part  of  the  price  of  the  land?  While 
it  remained  was  it  not  thine  own?  and  after  it  was  sold  was  it 
not  in  thine  own  power?  Why  hast  thou  conceived  this  thing  in 
thine  heart?' 

"  'Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God.'  When  An- 
a-ni'as  heard  these  words,"  said  Uncle  John,  "he  fell  down  and 

251 


252  Purifying  the  Church 

died.  A  great  fear  came  upon  the  people  who  heard  and  saw 
these  things. 

"About  three  hours  after,  the  wife,  Sap-phi'ra,  came  in  and 
Pester  asked  her  if  she  and  her  husband  had  received  the  price 
An-a-ni'as  stated;  she  replied  that  they  had.  When  she  said 
this,  the  a-pos'tle  asked  her  why  they  had  agreed  to  do  this.  She 
made  no  reply.  Then  Pe'ter  said:  'the  young  men  who  carried 
out  thy  husband  and  buried  him  are  now  at  the  door  and  they 
will  also  carry  you  out  and  bury  you  beside  him.'  When  she 
heard  these  words,  she  fell  down  and  died  and  they  buried  her 
beside  her  husband." 

"That  was  horrid  in  both  of  them,"  said  all  the  children  and 
Uncle  John  said:    "Yes,  very,  very  sad." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXIV 

What  is  this  lesson  about? 

How  did  the  disciples  in  that  time  live? 

What  did  Ananias  and  Sapphira  think  they  could  do? 

Did  they  need  to  give  all  their  wealth  to  the  church? 

How  then  did  they  sin  by  giving  only  a  part? 

What  did  Peter  say  to  Ananias  ? 

What  happened  to  Ananias,  and  how  did  it  affect  the  people? 

Tell  what  happened  to  his  wife  about  three  hours  afterwards. 


CHAPTER  LXXV 

pe'ter  healing  the  sick 
Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  September 

"Paul  and  I  have  been  talking  all  week,  Uncle  John,  about 
An-a-ni'as  and  Sap-phi'ra,  and  we  have  wondered  why  he  does 
not  punish  everyone  who  deceives,"  said  Pau-line'. 

"Well  he  does,  my  child,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  not  always 
in  a  way  we  can  see.  This  was  an  exceptional  case,  but  the  les- 
son is  there  all  the  same.  To-day  we  are  to  talk  about  Pe'ter 
healing  the  sick." 

"The  healing  of  the  beggar  at  the  Tem'ple  gate  made 
Pe'ter's  name  familiar  to  everybody  in  Je-ru'sa-lem.  His  power 
to  heal  the  sick  called  great  crowds  about  him.  When  the  sick 
could  not  come  to  him,  friends  brought  them  on  couches  to  him. 
They  came  in  such  numbers,  out  of  all  cities,  that  the  streets  and 
roadsides  were  lined.  In  spite  of  the  great  numbers.  Pester,  it 
is  said,  healed  them  all. 

"Now,  can  you  imagine,  children,"  said  Uncle  John,  "what 
excitement  prevailed  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  in  those  days?  Since  Pe'ter 
never  missed  an  opportunity  to  speak  of  Je'sus,  a  great,  great 
many  must  have  turned  to  the  Sa'vior. 

"This  religious  movement  alarmed  the  rulers.  They  feared 
that  the  masses  would  rise  up  and  overthrow  the  Em'pire.  So 
they  arrested  not  only  Pe'ter,  but  all  the  a-pos'tles,  and  put  them 
in  prison.  Now  listen  to  what  happened!  That  very  night  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  came  to  the  a-pos'tles  and  led  them  out  of 
prison,  saying:    'Go  to  the  tem'ple  and  preach  the  gospel.' 

"In  the  morning,  therefore,  the  a-pos'tles  did  as  the  angel 
commanded,  they  began  to  teach  and  preach.  That  morning, 
also,  the  rulers  assembled  to  plan  what  they  should  do  ^ith  these 
men. 

"Not  knowing  that  an  angel  had  released  them,  they  ordered 

253 


254  Pester  Healing   the  Sick 

the  officer  to  bring  the  prisoners  before  them.  He  came  with  a 
most  startling  report :  'I  found  the  prison  closed  and  the  guards 
at  the  gates,  but  the  prisoners  gone.'  Just  then  one  of  their 
number  came  from  the  tem'ple  and  reported  that  the  a-pos'tles 
were  talking  to  great  crowds  of  people. 

"The  officer  was  ordered  to  bring  them  before  the  council. 
When  the  a-pos'tles  were  brought  into  the  court  of  justice  the 
rulers  said:     'Did  we  not  forbid  you  to  speak  in  Je'sus'  name?' 

"Pe'ter,  speaking  for  the  a-pos'tles,  said:  'God  has  told  us 
to  preach,  and  we  must  obey.'  When  the  council  heard  these 
words,  they  questioned  how  they  might  dispose  of  the  a-pos'tles. 

"There  was  a  wise  and  a  just  man  among  them,  whose  name 
was  Ga-ma'liel.  He  advised  the  council  to  be  careful  about  this 
matter. 

"  'If  these  men  are  not  led  of  God,  their  cause  will  fail:  if 
they  are  led  of  God  and  you  resist  them,  you  will  fail.  There- 
fore, let  them  go  and  we  shall  see  what  they  are.' 

"The  council  was  moved  by  Ga-mali-el's  words  and  agreed 
that  his  judgment  was  wise. 

"They  did  not  carry  out  all  his  advice,  however,  for  they 
forbade  the  a-pos'tles  to  speak  in  Je'sus'  name.  Then  they  beat 
them,  and  set  them  free. 

"How  did  the  angel  open  the  prison  door?"  asked  little 
Phe'be,  who  did  not  know  what  power  an  angel  had. 

"God,  my  child,  did  it  through  the  angel,"  said  Uncle  John. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXV 

Tell  about  Peter's  fame  after  he  healed  the  beggar. 

Did  Peter  heal  the  others  that  came  to  him  ? 

What  did  the  angel  do  and  tell  the  apostles  to  do? 

What  did  the  officers  tell  the  rulers  the  next  morning? 

What  did  the  rulers  say  to  Peter  and  John  when  brought  before  them  ? 


CHAPTER  LXXVI 

pe'ter  and  the  magician 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"The  success  of  the  Christian  church,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"had  alarmed  and  aroused  its  enemies  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  began  to  persecute  its  members.  Among  other  things  they 
stoned  Ste'phen,  one  of  the  deacons,  to  death,  thereby  causing 
many  Clii'is'tians  to  leave  Je-ru'sa-lem.  The  a-pos'tles,  how- 
ever, remained  in  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"Among  those  who  went  away  was  Phirip,  the  E-van'gel-ist 
whom  we  have  already  told  you  about.  PhiFip  went  to  the  city 
of  Sa-ma'ri-a,  where  he  not  only  preached  the  gospel,  but  healed 
the  lame,  the  sick  and  did  many  other  things  which  showed  that 
he  had  the  power  of  God.  His  success  there  was  surprising,  be- 
cause, 5^ou  remember  the  Sa-mar'i-tans  hated  the  Jews.  But 
all  that  was  forgotten  in  the  great  revival. 

"When  the  church  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  heard  about  the  remark- 
able work  in  Sa-ma'ri-a,  they  sent  Pelter  and  John  to  assist. 
The  first  thing  the  a-pos'tles  did  on  arriving  at  the  city  was  to 
jDray  that  the  people  might  receive  the  Holy  Spirit.  Knowing 
that  God  answered  prayer  they  laid  their  hands  on  them  and 
they  received  the  Holy  Spirit  then  and  there. 

"Among  the  citizens  was  a  man  called  Simmon,  the  ma-gi'cian. 
He  had  long  claimed  to  be  able  to  heal  all  manner  of  disease. 
He  had  a  great  name  in  Sa-mall-a  and  his  work,  up  to  this  time, 
had  brought  him  a  great  deal  of  money.  Si-mon,  the  ma-gi'cian, 
or  sor'cer-er,  as  he  is  often  called,  pretended  to  be  influenced  by 
the  power  of  God  and  was  baptized.  I  am  afraid,  though,  he 
was  the  same  artful  magician,  though  he  professed  to  be  a 
Chrislian,  for,  as  he  looked  at  the  miracles  performed  by  Philip, 
he  saw  that  his  art  magic  was  cast  into  the  shade. 

255 


256  Pe'ter  and  the  Magician 

"His  power  to  make  money  was  passing  away,  so  he  wanted 
to  gain  Phirip's  power.  He  was  thinking  this  over  when  Pe'ter 
and  John  came  to  the  city.  He  watched  them  carefully  and 
when  he  saw  the  people  receive  power  by  the  a-pos'tles  laying 
their  hands  on  them,  he  determined  to  get  this  gift,  if  possible, 
from  the  a-pos'tles. 

"So  he  went  and  offered  money  for  such  power  as  PhiFip 
had,  and  that  which  had  also  been  conferred  on  the  Chris'tians 
of  Sa-ma'ri-a.  But  Pe'ter,  the  spokesman  for  the  Chris'tians, 
said  to  Si'mon  the  Ma-gi'cian:  'Thy  silver  perish  with  thee,  be- 
cause thou  has  thought  to  obtain  the  gift  of  God  with  money. 
Thou  has  neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  matter,  because  thy  heart 
is  not  right  toward  God.' 

"When  the  ma-gi'cian  heard  this,"  said  Uncle  John,  "he  was 
filled  with  terror,  and  asked  that  none  of  these  things  might 
happen  to  him." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXVI 

What  did  the  enemies  of  the  church  now  do? 
Where  did  Philip  go  and  what  wonderful  thing  did  he  do? 
What  did  the  church  in  Jerusalem  do  when  they  heard  of  Philip's 
wonderful  work  in  Samaria? 

What  was  the  first  thing  that  Peter  and  John  did  on  entering  the  city? 

Tell  about  Simon,  the  magician. 

Why  did  he  join  the  church  and  be  baptized? 

What  did  he  determine  to  get  from  the  apostles? 

What  did  he  offer  to  do? 

What  did  Peter  answer  him  ? 

How  was  the  magician  affected  and  what  did  he  ask? 


CHAPTER  LXXVII 

pe'ter  at  lyd'da  and  jop'pa 
Morning  Lesson — Fifth  Sunday  in  September 

"This  morning,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  the  class  met  on  a 
glorious  Sep-tem'ber  morning,  "we  are  to  talk  about  Pe'ter  at 
Lyd'da  and  Jop'pa.  The  church  was  now  at  rest  everywhere 
and  for  the  time  being  the  foes  of  the  disciples  ceased  to  perse- 
cute them. 

"Pe'ter  now  felt  that  he  would  like  to  meet  the  various 
churches  over  the  land,  so,  among  other  places,  he  visited 
Lyd'da,  a  town  on  the  shores  of  the  Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an  sea, 
about  a  day's  walk  from  Je-ru'sa-lem.  It  was  situated  on  a 
beautiful  plain  called  Shar'on,  where  lovely  roses  grew.  I  men- 
tion it  because  Je'sus  is  sometimes  called:  'The  Rose  of  Shar'on.' 

"When  Pe'ter  came  to  Lyd'da  he  received  a  hearty  welcome 
from  all  the  members  of  the  church  and  especially  from  Ae'ne- 
as,  who  had  been  bedridden  eight  years  with  the  palsy.  When 
Pe'ter  found  this  man,  he  said:  'Ae'ne-as,  Je'sus  Christ  maketh 
thee  whole,  arise  and  make  thy  bed.'  Ae'ne-as  immediately 
arose. 

"I  think,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Ae'ne-as  was  widely 
known,  for  the  miracle  made  a  profound  impression.  It  is  said 
that  all  that  dwelt  in  Lyd'da  and  in  Shar'on  saw  him  and  turned 
to  the  Lord. 

"Whilst  Pe'ter  was  in  the  midst  of  this  work  at  Lyd'da,  the 
disciples  at  Jop'pa  sent  two  messengers  with  this  word:  'Delay 
not  to  come  unto  us.'  So  Pe'ter  arose  and  went  with  the  two 
men  who  had  been  sent. 

"There  was  a  certain  disciple  in  Jop'pa  by  the  name  of  TaV- 
i-tha,  sometimes  called  Dor'cas.  She  was  a  widow,  a  woman  of 
wealth  and  of  great  benevolence.     She  did  a  great  deal  for  the 

257 


258  Pe'ter   at   Lyd'da   and   Jop'pa 

poor,  especially  the  widows  of  Jop'pa,  for  whom  she  wove  cloth 
and  made  it  into  garments.  Dor'cas  had  taken  sick  and  died. 
When  the  apostle  entered  the  house  he  found  many  people 
there  who  had  been  aided  by  Dor'cas. 

"Pe'ter  asked  them  all  to  leave  the  room.  Then  he  kneeled 
down  and  prayed.  When  the  prayer  was  ended  he  turned  to  the 
body  and  said:  'Tab'i-tha  arise.'  She  opened  her  eyes  and  see- 
ing Pe'ter  sat  up. 

"He  gave  her  his  hand  and  lifted  her  up,  then  went  to  the 
door  and  called  the  friends.  What  joy  there  was  in  Jop'pa,  a 
joy  which  caused  many  to  wonder  at  the  grace  and  power  of 
God." 

"Tell  me  Uncle,"  said  Pau-line',  "are  the  Dor'cas'  societies 
connected  with  the  churches  named  in  honor  of  the  woman  of 
Jop'pa?" 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "they  are.  The  church  has  taken  up 
the  work  Dor'cas  left  went  she  went  to  heaven." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXVII 

When  the  church  was  free  from  persecution,  what  did  Peter  decide  to 
do? 

Tell  about  his  visit  to  Lydda. 

Why  was  Aeneas  so  glad  to  see  him  ? 

What  did  the  people  do  when  they  saw  how  Aeneas  had  been  cured? 

Who  came  to  Peter  while  he  was  at  Lydda? 

Tell  about  Tabitha  or  Dorcas. 

What  did  Peter  ask  the  people  to  do  ? 

What  did  he  do? 

Why  do  we  have  Dorcas  societies  in  the  churches? 


CHAPTER  LXXVIII 

pe'ter^s  vision 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"One  day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "whilst  Pe'ter  was  in  Jop'pa, 
he  went  up  on  the  roof  of  a  house,  where  he  was  staying,  to  pray. 
It  was  noon  and  he  was  hungry,  the  family  were  preparing  the 
midday  meal." 

"How  could  he  get  on  the  roof?"  asked  one  of  the  little 
folks. 

"Easy  enough,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  roof  was  flat  and  the 
people  often  used  the  roofs  for  sleep  and  quiet.  While  on  the 
roof,  Pe'ter  fell  in  what  the  scriptures  call  a  trance,  and  he  had  a 
vision.  In  this  vision  he  saw  a  sheet  knit  at  the  four  corners,  and 
full  of  four  footed  beasts  and  creeping  things.  It  was  let  down 
from  heaven.  Whilst  he  was  looking  at  this  strange  sight,  a 
voice  said  to  him,  'arise,  Pe'ter,  kill  and  eat.'  Pe'ter  replied, 
'Nay  Lord,  for  I  have  never  eaten  anything  common  or  un- 
clean.' But  the  voice  said:  'What  God  hath  cleansed,  that  call 
not  unclean.' 

"The  sheet,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  let  down  three  times  and 
each  time  Pe'ter  refused  to  eat. 

"Whilst  he  was  wondering  what  this  meant  he  heard  some 
one  knocking  at  the  garden  gate  and  asking  if  Si'mon  Pe'ter 
lodged  there.  The  spirit  again  spoke  unto  him,  saying:  'Three 
men  seek  thee,  arise,  get  thee  down  and  go  with  them,  doubt 
nothing,  for  I  have  sent  them.'  Upon  his  command  Pe'ter  went 
down.  The  three  men  said  that  they  had  been  sent  by  Cor-ne'- 
li-us,  a  Ro'man  officer  stationed  at  Caes-a-re'a,  to  come  to  that 
city  and  visit  him.  Pe'ter,  led  by  the  spirit,  lodged  tliem,  and  on 
the  following  morning,  in  company  with  friends,  went  to  Caes- 
a-re'a. 

259 


260  Pe'ters     Vision 

"On  Pe'ter's  arrival  at  the  door,  Cor-ne'li-us  threw  himself 
at  the  apostle's  feet.  The  apostle  lifted  him  up  saying:  'stand 
up,  I  myself  am  a  man.'  When  Pester  entered  the  house,  he 
found  the  friends  and  relatives  of  Cor-neli-us  gathered  to  meet 
him. 

"Pe'ter  said,  'it  is  unlawful  for  a  Jew  to  keep  company  with 
any  one  of  another  nation,  but  God  has  shown  me  that  no  man 
is  common  or  unclean.  I  have  come,  therefore,  to  ask  why  you 
have  sent  for  me?'  Cor-ne'li-us  then  related  the  following 
story:  'Four  days  ago  I  was  praying,  when  a  man  stood  before 
me  in  bright  clothing.  He  said:  Cor-ne'li-us,  thy  prayer  is 
heard.  Send  to  Jop'pa  and  call  hither  Si'mon,  whose  surname 
is  Pe'ter,  who,  when  he  cometh,  shall  speak  unto  thee.  So  I 
sent  for  you  and  now  we  are  assembled  to  hear  what  you  will 
say  to  us.' 

"Pe'ter  said:  'I  see  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  and 
all  good  in  every  nation  is  acceptable  to  him.'  Whilst  he  was 
speaking,"  said  Uncle  John,  "the  Holy  Spirit  fell  on  all  pres- 
ent. 

''After  Pe'ter  had  been  with  them  certain  days,  he  went  to 
Je-ru'sa-lem." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXVIII 

Where  did  Peter  go  to  pray? 

What  happened  to  Peter  on  the  roof? 

What  did  he  see  in  the  vision? 

What  did  the  voice  say  to  Peter? 

How  many  times  was  the  sheet  laid  down? 

What  happened  about  this  time? 

Who  had  sent  after  Peter  ? 

Where  did  he  go  with  the  messengers  ? 

What  did  Peter  say  to  Cornelius'  friends? 

What  story  did  Cornelius  relate  to  Peter? 

What  did  Peter  answer? 

What  happened  while  Peter  was  speaking 


CHAPTER  LXXIX 

pe'ter  in  prison 
Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  October 

"Well,  dear  children  and  friends,  I  am  glad  to  have  you  all 
here  to-day,"  said  Uncle  John,  "for  we  have  a  wonderful  lesson 
in  God's  care  for  the  apostle,  Pe'ter. 

"Her'od,  the  King,  had  arrested  Pe'ter,  and  intended  to 
put  him  to  death,  but,  for  some  unknown  reason,  he  had  delayed 
to  carry  out  his  plan.  To  make  sure  that  Pe'ter  should  not  es- 
cape, he  placed  him  in  the  care  of  sixteen  soldiers,  divided  into 
four  parties  of  four  each.  Four  were  to  watch  three  hours,  then 
to  be  relieved  by  four  more,  and  so  on  till  the  end  of  the  impris- 
onment. 

"The  outer  gate  of  the  prison  was  large  and  made  of  iron. 
Two  officers  were  placed  before  this  gate,  and  two  were  in  the 
cell  with  the  prisoner,  one  on  either  side. 

"We  now  go  to  the  home  of  Ma'ry,  the  Mother  of  Mark. 
Mark,  j^ou  know,  wrote  the  gospel  of  St.  Mark.  Here  the  dis- 
ciples gathered  to  pray  for  the  protection  of  Pe'ter.  We  will 
see  how  the  Lord  answered  these  prayers. 

"Whilst  Pe'ter  slept  an  angel  came  from  God,  and  struck 
him  on  the  side  to  awaken  him.  He  then  took  Pester  by  the 
hand,  saying:  'arise  quickly,  gird  thyself,  and  put  on  thy  san- 
dals.' As  he  spoke  the  chains  fell  from  Pe'ter's  wrists.  A  bright 
light  shone  through  the  prison,  enabling  Pe'ter  to  follow  the 
angel,  who  led  him  out  past  the  guards,  through  the  iron  gate, 
and  into  the  street. 

"When  the  angel  had  walked  one  block  with  Pe'ter  he  dis- 
appeared, lea^^ng  the  apostle  alone.  Up  to  this  time  Pe'ter  had 
not  perceived  that  he  had  an  angel  for  a  deliverer,  but  now  he 
knew,  and  thanked  God. 

"He  then  wondered  what  he  was  to  do  next,  but  soon  the 

261 


262  Pe'ter  in  Prison 

Spir'it  led  him  to  the  home  of  Ma'ry.  Arriving  there,  he 
knocked  at  the  gate.  A  young  girl  named  Rho'da,  came  and 
asked  who  it  was  that  sought  admittance.  It  was  past  midnight, 
and,  to  come  to  the  gate,  Rho'da  had  to  pass  through  a  lonely 
court.  From  the  outside  of  the  gate  she  recognized  Pe'ter's 
voice,  and  knew  that  he  was  out  of  prison.  In  her  gladness, 
however,  she  forgot  to  open  the  gate,  but  ran  into  the  house  to 
tell  them  that  Pester  was  free. 

"They  said  at  first  that  she  was  mad.  Her  manner,  how- 
ever, convinced  them  that  she  had  seen  or  heard  him,  so  they  said 
it  is  his  angel,  thinking  that  the  apostle  was  dead  and  that  his 
angel  had  been  sent.  Pe'ter  continued  knocking.  They  then 
went  and  opened  the  gate.     Great  was  their  astonishment. 

"He  beckoned  to  them  with  his  hand  to  keep  silent,  and  then, 
passing  with  them  into  the  house,  told  what  a  wonderful  thing 
God  had  done  for  him.  When  finished,  he  asked  them  to  carry 
the  news  to  James,  the  brother  of  our  Lord. 

"Pe'ter  then  left,  to  carry  on  his  work  in  other  places,  and 
did  not  return  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  for  five  or  six  years." 

"What  did  the  rulers  say  to  this,  Uncle  John?"  asked  Paul. 

"There  was  great  excitement,"  said  Uncle  John,  "when  it 
was  discovered  that  Pe'ter  was  gone." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXIX 

What  wicked  thing  had  Herod  done? 

How  did  Herod  try  to  make  sure  that  Peter  should  not  escape? 

While  Peter  was  in  prison  and  court  what  were  the  people  doing  at 
the  house  of  Mark's  mother  ? 

What  happened  in  answer  to  these  prayers? 

How  did  Peter  know  it  was  an  angel  that  let  him  out? 

Where  did  Peter's  friends  go? 

Tell  how  he  surprised  Rhoda. 

What  did  the  people  say  and  think  when  Rhoda  told  them  Peter  was 
there  ? 

Whom  did  Peter  send  word  of  his  freedom? 


CHAPTER  LXXX 

pe'ter^s  last  days 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"We  are  not  able  to  follow  Pe'ter's  life  clearly  for  the  next 
six  years,"  said  Uncle  John.  "He  went  away,  and  we  have  only 
hints  and  brief  mention  in  his  letters  concei'ning  his  work. 

"At  the  end  of  six  years  he  returned,  to  be  present  at  a  coun- 
cil of  the  church,  which  was  held  in  Je-ru'sa-lem.  The  council 
at  this  meeting  decided  to  send  Pe'ter  to  work  among  the  Jews 
scattered  throughout  the  world. 

"For  twenty  years  Pe'ter  labored  in  the  Ho'ly  Land,  but 
now  his  field  of  work  was  enlarged,  he  was  given  A'sia  Mi'nor 
and  all  that  country  watered  by  the  rivers  Eu-phra'tes  and 
Tigris." 

"Did  he  go  alone,  Uncle?"  asked  Pau-line'. 

"No,  I  don't  think  so,"  said  Uncle  John.  "It  is  thought  that 
his  wife  accompanied  him  on  this  journey  and  in  this  great  work. 

"Well,  Pe'ter,  for  the  next  eighteen  years,  went  about  doing 
good,  preaching  the  gospel  and  healing  the  sick  until,  at  last,  he 
was  led  by  the  spirit  to  Rome,  the  cap'i-tal  of  the  known  world  at 
that  time. 

"At  this  time,  Ne'ro,  a  young  Em'per-or,  was  on  the  throne. 
He  was  only  twenty-one  years  of  age,  but  very  old  in  crime. 
His  life  was  one  of  the  darkest,  in  human  sin  and  cruelty,  that 
history  records. 

"Pe'ter,  unfortunately,  arrived  in  Rome  during  the  reign  of 
this  wicked  man. 

"There  is  a  legend  to  the  effect  that  the  Chris'tians  of  Rome, 
fearing  for  the  life  of  Pe'ter,  entreated  him  to  leave  the  city; 
that  he  consented  and  had  passed  through  one  of  the  gates  of  the 
city,  when  he  met  Je'sus,  carrying  a  cross.  Pe'ter  said:  *Lord, 
whither  goest  thou?'    The  SaVior  rephed:     *I  go  to  Rome,  to 

263 


264  Pe'ter's   Last   Days 

be  crucified  for  thee.'  "It  is  thought,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Pe'ter 
took  this  as  a  rebuke  from  our  Lord,  and  returned  to  the  city, 
remaining  there  the  balance  of  his  life.  Pe'ter  was  now  old, 
and,  being  much  persecuted,  he  lived  only  a  short  time. 

"I  am  not  certain  as  to  the  exact  time  of  his  death,  but  prob- 
ably about  forty  years  after  Christ's  res-ur-rec'tion." 

"How  did  he  dies?"  asked  Paul. 

"He  died  a  martyr,"  said  Uncle  John.  "The  emperor  or- 
dered his  death  in  the  a-re'na.  Like  Christ,  he  was  crucified, 
but,  feeling  that  he,  himself,  was  unworthy  to  be  crucified  as 
Je'sus  was,  asked  that  he  might  be  crucified  with  the  head  down. 
His  request  was  granted.  All  this  was  very  sad,  but  you  will 
be  pleased  to  know  that  on  that  spot,  to-day,  stands  one  of  the 
largest,  if  not  the  largest,  church  in  the  whole  world.  It  is 
called,  in  memory  of  him,  the  Church  of  St.  Pe'ter." 

"Is  he  buried  in  the  church,  Uncle?"  asked  Paul. 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "there  his  body  is  supposed  to  rest. 
There  his  long  pilgrimage  came  to  an  end." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXX 

What  do  we  know  of  Peter's  life  for  the  next  six  years.? 

What  did  the  council  at  Jerusalem  send  Peter  to  do  ? 

Where  did  he  go  now  to  labor? 

Who  probably  accompanied  Peter  to  this  foreign  country? 

How  long  did  Peter  labor  in  foreign  field? 

Tell  about  the  wicked  emporer,  Nero,  when  Peter  went  to  Rome. 

Why  did  Peter  try  to  leave  Rome? 

Who  did  Peter  meet  as  he  was  leaving  the  city? 

What  did  Peter  probably  do  ? 

When  did  Peter  die? 

Tell  how  he  met  his  death. 


CHAPTER  LXXXI 

THE  A-POS'TLE  AN'dREW 

3Iormng  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  October 

"This  morning,  dear  children,  we  are  to  have  the  life  of  An'- 
drew  for  our  lesson,"  said  Uncle  John.  "An'drew  is  one  of 
those  good  men  who  shared  good  things  with  all  others. 

"He  was  a  brother  of  Si'mon  Pe'ter,  younger,  no  doubt,  but 
a  thorough  companion  of  the  elder  brother  so  long  as  he  lived. 

"An'drew,  in  all  probability,  was  also  born  in  Beth-sa'ida. 
He,  at  least,  was  raised  in  that  town  and  formed  one  of  a  group 
of  five  boys  who  followed  fishing  as  a  trade  and  afterwards,  be- 
came a-pos'tles  of  Je'sus.  The  family  was,  no  doubt,  in  com- 
fortable circumstances,  for  they  owned  their  own  boats  and  nets 
and  sold  fish  in  all  the  large  cities. 

"The  first  he  is  spoken  of  in  the  Bible  is  when  John  the  Bap'- 
tist  told  him  that  Je'sus  was  the  Mes-si'ah.  He  then  followed 
Je'sus  and  talked  with  Him.  He  was  so  pleased  with  that  talk 
that  he  hunted  up  his  brother  saying:  'we  have  found  the  Mes- 
si'ah,  come  and  see  Him.'  That  was  An'drew's  nature,"  said 
Uncle  John.     "He  wanted  everybody  to  share  his  good  fortune. 

"So  in  honor  of  him,  and  in  memory  of  his  great  deeds,  good 
people  all  over  the  world  have  formed  societies  for  Christian 
work,  which  they  call  'The  Broth'er-hood  of  St.  An'drew.' 

"An'drew  was  not  content  to  tell  the  news  to  Pe'ter,  but  he 
brought  him  to  Je'sus.  I  do  not  know  what  means  the  Master 
might  have  later  employed  to  call  Pe'ter  into  His  sei'vice,  but  I 
do  know  that  An'drew  was  the  one  who  brought  him  to  Je'sus. 

"This  seemed  to  be  An'drew's  special  work — ^taking  people 
to  Je'sus.  He  was  not  in  the  inner  circle  of  the  apostles,  like 
Pe'ter,  James,  and  John,  yet  he  seemed  to  be  almost  as  close, 
for,  when  Je'sus  looked  at  Je-ru'sa-lem  for  the  last  time,  from 

265 


APOSTLE  ANDREW. 


The  A-pos'tle  An' drew  267 

the  Mount  of  Orives,  Pe'ter,  James,  John  and  An'drew,  were  in 
confidential  conversation  with  our  Lord. 

"An'drew  is  not  as  famous  as  his  brother  Pester.  History 
does  not  even  tell  us  where  he  carried  on  his  life  work,  but  it  is 
supposed  that  it  was  in  A'sia  Mi'nor  and  in  Greece. 

"Though  little  is  known  of  his  last  days,  he  was  held  in  great 
affection  by  the  church,  and  he  became  the  pattern  which  the 
young  Christian  manhood  of  the  world,  to-day,  love  to  imitate 
and  follow.  His  glory  has  become  the  keynote  of  their  lives. 
Let  us,  then,  bring  men  to  Je'sus." 

"Do  you  know  how  he  died,  Uncle  John?"  asked  Pau-line'. 

"Yes,  on  the  cross,"  said  Uncle  John. 

"The  cross  on  which  he  suffered  was  of  so  peculiar  a  shape 
that  it  has  been  called  St.  An'drew's  Cross,  and  is  one  of  the 
emblems  of  Scotland's  national  flag."  -. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXI 

Whose  life  do  we  study  now? 

Who  was  Andrew;  where  was  he  born  and  raised? 

When  is  Andrew  first  spoken  of  in  the  bible? 

What  did  Andrew  do  when  he  found  Jesus? 

Why  do  we  have  the  brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew? 

Who  was  the  first  person  Andrew  brought  to  Jesus? 

What  seemed  to  be  Andrew's  special  work? 

Where  did  Andrew  probably  labor? 

Where  did  he  die? 

Tell  about  St.  Andrew's  cross. 


CHAPTER  LXXXII 

THE   PARENTAGE  AND  BOYHOOD  OF  JAMES  AND   JOHN 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"James  and  John,  two  of  Je'sus'  apostles,"  said  Uncle  John, 
"were  brothers.  James  was  about  as  old  as  Pe'ter,  and  John  was 
probably  the  age  of  Andrew.  In  their  earher  days,  John  and 
An'drew  seemed  to  be  companions,  but  as  the  four  grew  older 
they  became  one  group. 

"The  parents  of  James  and  John  were  Zeb'e-dee  and  Sa- 
lo'me.  Zeb'e-dee,  the  father,  was  a  fisherman,  who  had  a  large 
business  handling  many  ships  and  large  crews.  The  father  and 
the  two  sons  worked  with  the  crews. 

"The  mother,  Sa-lo'me,  was  a  most  remarkable  woman,  and 
had  the  greater  influence  of  the  two  in  molding  the  lives  of  the 
sons.  She  was  very  ambitious  and  her  spirit  inspired  her  sons. 
When  they  became  apostles,  she  accompanied  them  on  their 
journeys,  sharing  their  hardships  and  pleasures.  She  was  a 
loyal  friend  of  Je'sus,  for  we  find  her  at  His  cross. 

"The  family  of  James  and  John  were  not  only  well  to  do, 
but  they  were  connected  with  the  great  families  of  Je-ru'sa-lem. 
This  is  indicated  from  the  fact,  that  when  Je'sus  was  being  tried 
before  the  High  Priest,  John  was  so  well  known  in  the  palace, 
that  he  came  and  went  freely. 

"The  difference  between  his  position,  and  that  of  Pe'ter's, 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  Pe'ter  came  in  at  the  servant's  gate,  and 
then  only  as  John  obtained  admission  for  him. 

"John  was  a  man  of  courage,  for  it  was  most  dangerous  to 
be  known  as  Je'sus'  friend. 

"James,  too,  was  much  like  him  in  that  respect.  They  were 
called  sons  of  Thunder,  not  merely,  because  they  were  eloquent, 
but  because  they  were  brave.    John  always  seemed  to  be  more  im- 

268 


Boyhood  of  James  and  John  269 

petuous  than  James,  but  nothing  was  too  difficult  for  them  to 
try. 

"They  were  over-persevering,  and  urged  by  their  mother, 
sought  the  highest  and  best  position.  At  one  time,  you  remem- 
ber, they  came  with  their  mother  to  ask  Je'sus  for  the  honorable 
position  of  right  hand  and  left  hand,  on  His  throne,  when  he 
obtained  the  King'dom  of  God,  at  which  Je'sus  replied  that  it 
was  not  His  to  give. 

"They  thought,  no  doubt,  that  Je'sus  would  found  an  earthly 
King'dom.  They  were  ever  willing  to  give  their  lives  for  Je'- 
sus'  sake,  if  they  were  needed.  They  did  not  seek  to  gain  some- 
thing for  nothing,  they  put  all  their  energies  into  what  they  did, 
and  their  mother  was  a  part  of  all  their  plans  when  growing  and 
grown  men. 

"Next  Sun'day  we  shall  talk  about  what  James  did,  when 
he  became  a  man." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXII 

Who  were  James  and  John  ? 

Who  were  their  parents,  and  what  was  their  business? 

Who  was  their  father,  and  what  was  his  business  ? 

Tell  about  their  mother  Salome. 

How  do  we  know  the  family  of  James  and  John  was  well  to  do? 

How  do  we  know  he  was  more  honored  than  Peter  ? 

How  do  we  know  John  and  James  were*  men  of  courage? 

What  Avere  John  and  James  called? 

How  do  we  know  they  were  persevering  and  ambitious  ? 

Why  did  they  ask  to  sit  on  the  right  and  left  hand  of  Jesus  ? 


CHAPTER  LXXXIII 

THE  A-POS'TLE  JAMES^  THE  BROTHER  OF  JOHN 

Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  October 

"You  may  ask,  dear  children,  why  we  study  the  life  of  James 
before  we  speak  of  John,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  they  gathered  to- 
gether. "We  do  so,  because  James  is  the  older  of  the  two,  and 
the  scriptures  name  him  first. 

"I  have  shown  you  that  he  was  an  industrious,  honorable 
boy,  and  that  he  grew  up  into  a  great  and  respected  man.  He 
did  not  meet  Je'sus  quite  so  early  as  his  brother,  but  he  followed 
him  just  as  readily,  when  Je'sus  called  him.  Indeed,  he  became 
one  of  Je'sus'  favorite  apostles.  He  was  with  Him  when  he 
raised  Ja'i-rus'  daughter  from  the  dead.  He  was  present  when 
our  Lord  was  trans-fig'ured,  and  witnessed  that  wonderful  sight, 
seeing  also  the  faces  of  two  of  the  most  illustrious  men  the 
world  has  ever  known." 

"I  have  forgotten  who  they  were,"  said  Pau-line'.  "I  know," 
said  Paul,  "they  were  Mouses  and  E-h'jah." 

"James,  also,"  said  Uncle  John,  "was  one  of  three  men  who 
was  with  Je'sus  in  the  garden  of  Geth-sem'a-ne,  just  previous  to 
His  betrayal.  These  facts  show  the  esteem  in  which  Je'sus  held 
him.  And  this  was  not  misplaced,  for  James  became  very  prom- 
inent in  the  work  that  the  SaVior  left  for  his  apostles  to  carry 
out. 

"He  did  not  labor  in  distint  countries  like  some  of  the 
others,  but  remained  in  or  around  Je-ru'sa-lem.  This,  was,  no 
doubt,  due  to  his  qualities  as  a  leader.  The  affairs  of  the  church 
were  growing  larger  continually,  and  some  head  was  needed  to 
keep  things  going.  I  judge,  therefore,  that  Je'sus  was  the  man 
for  that  responsible  and  dangerous  position." 

"Why  dangerous,  Uncle  John?"  asked  Paul.  "I  said  dan- 
gerous," said  Uncle  John,  "because  the  leader  was  always  in 

270 


APOSTLE  JAMES,  BROTHER  OF  JOHN. 


272  The  A-pos'tle  James 

view,  and  known  to  be  directing  aiFairs,  and  preaching  where 
the  authorities  lived.    Their  lives  were  in  especial  danger. 

"There  was  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  at  this  time,  an  un-scrup'u-lous 
king,  named  Her'od  A-grip'pa.  He  was  in  great  favor  with  the 
Em'per-or  at  Rome,  and  hence  most  powerful  in  every  way. 

"Her'od  A-grip'pa  not  only  sympathized  with  the  men  who 
had  caused  Je'sus'  arrest,  and  who  were  now  treating  the  a-pos'- 
tles  in  the  same  way,  but  he  desired  to  please  them,  so  he  began 
to  persecute  the  Chris'tians. 

"The  first  Chris'tian  of  prominence  that  he  imprisoned  was 
James.  We  do  not  know  how  long  James  was  in  prison,  nor  that 
he  even  had  a  trial,  but  we  do  know  that  Her'od  ordered  him 
beheaded,  and  that  this  order  was  carried  out  at  Je-ru'sa-lem.  So 
James,  the  first  mar'tyr  among  the  twelve  A-pos'tles,  died  about 
eleven  years  after  Christ's  death. 

"James  had  told  Je'sus  eleven  years  before,  that  he  would  be 
willing  to  lay  down  his  life  for  him,  and  Je'sus  had  said  that  he 
would  be  called  upon  to  do  so,  and  now  it  came  to  pass. 

"Clem'ent  of  Al-ex-an'dri-a,  a  historian  of  the  church,  says 
that  the  accuser  of  James  was  so  stung  by  his  conscience,  that 
on  the  way  to  the  place  of  execution  he  asked  his  forgiveness, 
whereupon  James  kissed  him  on  the  cheek  and  said:  'Peace  be 
with  you.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXIII 

Why  do  we  study  the  life  of  James  before  that  of  John? 
On  what  great  occasion  was  James  with  Jesus? 
What  do  these  facts  show? 
What  did  James  become  prominent  in? 

Why  did  he  remain  about  Jerusalem  while  the  other  apostles  went 
abroad? 

Tell  about  the  unscrupulous  king,  Herod  Agrlppa. 
What  did  Herod  Agrippa  do  ? 
Tell  about  James  in  prison  and  his  trial. 
What  finally  became  of  James? 


CHAPTER  LXXXIV 

CHARACTERISTICS    OF   THE    A-POS'TLE    JOHN 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"John  was  called  'the  disciple  whom  Je'sus  loved,'  "  said 
Uncle  John.  "He  not  only  bears  this  most  honorable  distinc- 
tion, but  he  has  been  called  the  beloved  disciple  by  the  whole 
world.  He,  alone,  of  all  the  apostles,  died  a  natural  death.  God 
seemed  to  have  defended  his  life  against  all  the  ills  and  woes 
which  fell  upon  others.  He  seems  to  have  called  out  so  much 
love,  that  it  screened  him  from  the  evil  of  the  world. 

"When  Je'sus  was  in  the  world,  John  was  one  of  the  three 
who  formed  Je'sus'  inner  circle  of  friends;  but  John  was  more 
than  this,  he  was  Je'sus'  closest  friend.  This  is  shown  at  the  last 
supper,  when  John's  head  was  pillowed  on  Je'sus'  breast.  And 
again,  when  Je'sus  was  dying  on  the  cross,  he  gave  his  Mother 
into  John's  care.  He  knew  that  John's  love  would  never  fail, 
and  as  the  SaVior  knew  all  things,  He  saw  also  that  John's  hfe 
would  be  more  peaceful,  and  freer  from  danger,  for  this  reason 
also  would  he  be  able  to  take  better  care  of  her. 

"There  is  another  thing  to  remember  about  John,  which 
shows  how  much  he  was  like  the  SaVior.  That  is,  his  love  for 
little  children.  Whilst  Pe'ter  received  Je'sus'  admonition  to 
*feed  his  lambs,'  yet  after  all,  John  is  looked  upon  as  the  apostle 
of  the  children.  He  is  the  apostle  of  love  and  the  apostle  of 
children. 

"With  the  exception  of  a  brief  time,  John  was  with  Je'sus 
from  the  moment  of  His  arrest,  to  the  hour  of  His  death  on  the 
cross,  and  no  doubt  comforted  Him  with  loving  words  to  the 
very  last." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXIV 

Tell  what  John  was  called. 

How  did  John's  life  and  death  differ  from  that  of  the  other  apostles? 
How  much  did  Jesus  think  of  John? 
In  what  was  John  like  the  savior? 
What  did  John  do  for  Jesus  in  his  great  trial? 

273 


CHAPTER  LXXXV 

John's  work  as  an  a-pos'tle 
Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  October 

"These  beautiful,  quiet  October  days,  with  the  red  leaves, 
the  brown  fields  and  golden  sunsets  will  recall  John's  life,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "for  we  shall  now  talk  of  him,  when  he  is  growing 
into  age. 

"You  will  remember  that  John  went  to  Sa-ma'ri-a  with 
Pe'ter,  and  after  he  had  finished  his  work  in  that  city,  returned 
to  Je-ini'sa-lem.  That  was  seventeen  years  after  Je'sus'  death. 
We  do  not  hear  of  him  again  for  eighteen  years. 

"In  the  year  68,  John  came  up  to  attend  a  council  at  Je-ru'- 
sa-lem.  At  this  council  was  settled  one  of  the  most  important 
matters  ever  brought  before  the  church.  A  great  work  had  been 
going  on  in  the  city  of  An'ti-och,  many  Gen'tiles  confessing 
Je'sus.  That  caused  dissatisfaction  to  the  Chris'tians,  who  were 
bom  Jews. 

"The  council  was  called  to  settle  this  dispute,  and  all  other 
questions  arising  out  of  these  meetings.  Since  John  was  one  of 
'The  Piriar  A-pos'tles,'  his  presence  was  necessary. 

"After  this  council,  we  do  not  hear  of  John  again  for  some 
time,  except  as  he,  himself,  tells  us  in  the  book  of  Revelation, 
that  he  wrote  from  the  Isle  of  Pat'mos. 

"He  left  Je-ru'sa-lem  after  the  council,  and  I  think  never  re-. 
turned,  but  went  directly  to  Eph'e-sus,  where  he  lived,  labored 
and  was  loved  many,  many  years." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXV 

Where  did  John's  go  with  Peter  ? 

How  long  was  it  after  his  return  to  Jerusalem  before  we  hear  of  him 
again  ? 

What  did  John  do  in  the  year  '68? 
Tell  us  about  the  council  at  Jerusalem. 

After  this  where  did  John  probably  live,  and  for  how  long? 

274 


APOSTLE  JOHN. 


CHAPTER  LXXXVI 

WRITINGS  OF  THE  A-POS'TLE   JOHN 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"John  was  a  great  writer,"  said  Uncle  John.  "He  wrote 
one  of  the  four  gospels  and  he  also  wrote  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion, the  last  book  in  the  Bible.  At  the  time  he  wrote  the  book 
of  Revelation  he  was  on  the  Island  of  Pat'mos,  and  tells  how 
he  came  to  write  it. 

"On  a  certain  Lord's  day  he  was  meditating  and  thinking; 
whilst  he  was  thinking,  he  suddenly  heard  a  voice  like  a  great 
trumpet.  He  turned  and  saw  Je'sus  in  a  form  more  magnificent, 
majestic  and  glorious  than  he  had  even  seen  Him,  or  dreamed 
He  could  be. 

"John  fell  down  as  if  dead.  Then  Je'sus  tenderly  reached 
forth  his  right  hand  and  caressed  him,  at  the  same  time  telling 
him  not  to  be  afraid,  but  to  look  and  listen,  and  write  down  what 
he  saw  and  heard.  John  wrote,  and  when  Je'sus  had  finished, 
he  sent  His  angel  to  complete  the  work. 

"So  the  great  book  of  Revelation  is  a  series  of  sayings  and 
visions,  which  John  received  out  of  heaven.  It  is  not  thoroughly 
understood,  but  it  does  help  us  to  understand  some  of  the  glo- 
ries of  heaven. 

"After  this,  John  wrote  the  life  of  Je'sus,  called  the  gospel 
according  to  St.  John.  Mat'thew,  Mark  and  Luke  had  already, 
each  written  a  life  of  Je'sus,  but  John  knew  many  things  about 
Je'sus  which  they  did  not,  and  as  his  spirit  was  most  like  that 
of  Christ's,  he  was  able  to  give  the  world  the  highest  conception 
of  the  SaVior's  words  and  life.  When  he  wrote  it  he  was  long 
past  seventy  years  of  age. 

"The  other  writers  had  omitted  the  first  miracle  at  Ca'na, 
the  night  visit  of  Nic-o-de'mus,  the  talk  with  the  woman  at  the 
well  of  Sa-ma'ri-a,  the  washing  of  the  disciples'  feet,  about 
heaven  and  the  mansions,  and  the  last  words  and  the  mighty 

276 


The  Writings  of  John  277 

prayer  which  has  filled  the  world.  How  much  we  would  have 
lost  if  John  had  died  without  writing  it  down. 

"John  gives  his  reason  for  writing  the  gospel  in  the  follow- 
ing words:  "These  are  written  that  ye  may  believe  that  Je'sus  is 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  ye  might  have 
life  in  His  name.' 

"After  this  John  wrote  three  letters  called  E-pis'tles.  In 
these  letters  we  see  Je'sus  through  John's  eyes,  and  hear  Je'sus 
through  John's  ear.  He  brings  us  so  near  the  Lord,  that  we 
feel  His  hand  through  John's  hand. 

"The  theme  of  the  first  E-pis'tle  is  love.  He  tells  us  'God  is 
Love.'    This  is  why  John  is  called  the  'A-pos'tle  of  Love.' 

"Another  E-pis'tle  is  of  deep  interest  to  children.  We  gather 
from  it  that  there  were  two  Chris'tian  homes  which  John  de- 
lighted to  visit.  The  mothers  were  sisters.  His  letter  is  written 
to  the  'elect  lady'  or  as  the  church  had  come  to  say,  'The  lady 
E-lec'ta  and  her  children.'  John  writes  how  he  and  others  love 
them  because  of  their  Chris'tian  spirit. 

"We  know  that  the  children  prized  that  letter  and  kept  it, 
for  after  1900  years  the  children  are  reading  it,  and  thinking 
how  happy  were  the  children  of  long  ago,  who  had  the  A-pos'tle 
John  for  a  friend. 

"So  now  we  add  another  beautiful  name  to  John,  or  rather 
it  has  long  been  his,  'The  A-pos'tle  of  Childhood,'  and  he  said 
over  and  over:  'Little  children,  love  one  another.'  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXVI 

Where  was  John  when  he  wrote  the  book  of  Revelation  ? 
Tell  of  the  wonderful  vision  he  saw. 
What  is  the  book  of  Revelation? 
After  writing  Revelation,  what  did  John  write  next? 
Why  did  John  write  the  Life  of  Jesus  after  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke 
had  done  so? 

After  writing  the  life  of  Jesus  what  else  did  John  write? 
How  do  we  know  that  the  church  prized  that  letter? 


CHAPTER  LXXXVII 

LAST  DAYS  OF  THE  A-POS^TLE  JOHN 

Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  November 

"Are  you  going  to  tell  us  more  about  the  A-pos'tle  John, 
who  loved  little  children,"  asked  Pau-line'.  "Yes,"  said  Uncle 
John,  "I  am  now  going  to  tell  you  about  his  last  days.  John 
lived  to  be  about  one  hundred  years  old,  perhaps  he  was  even 
older  than  that.  It  is  said  that  he  was  buried  in  a  mountain 
somewhere  near  Eph'e-sus.  But  like  Mouses,  no  one  knows  his 
burial  place. 

"His  work  at  Eph'e-sus  was  in  strong  contrast  to  Paul's, 
who  established  the  church  there.  Both  were  workers,  but  Paul 
created  enemies,  while  John  made  those  enemies  friends.  He 
differed  from  them,  but  lived  in  love  and  peace  among  them.  He 
was  not  by  any  means  a  weak  man,  but  his  love  overcame  all 
things. 

"PoFy-carp,  one  of  John's  disciples,  and  a  most  eminent 
man,  took  up  the  work  John  left  off.  He  delighted  to  tell  peo- 
ple about  the  dear  and  blessed  saint.  He  said  that  when  John 
went  through  the  streets  of  Eph'e-sus,  the  little  children  would 
gather  about  him  just  to  hear  him  say:  'Little  children  love  one 
another.' 

"When  he  was  aged,  and  not  able  to  endure  the  fatigue  of 
standing,  he  sat  in  his  chair  and  the  people  gathered  around  to 
hear  those  wonderful  words  he  wrote  in  his  gospel. 

"One  day  he  fell  asleep,  and  Je'sus  came  and  took  him  to 
those  mansions  in  heaven  that  He  had  told  about  His  last  night 
on  earth. 

"What  a  welcome  he  received  from  the  apostles,  the  disci- 
ples, and  the  dear  little  children  whom  Je'sus  called  his  lambs. 

278 


CHAPTER  LXXXVIII 

THE  A-POS'TLE   PHIL'iP 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Who  are  you  going  to  tell  us  about  this  afternoon,  Uncle?" 
asked  Paul  as  the  children  and  friends  gathered  promptly  and 
in  cheerful  spirit  to  hear  any  story  which  he  had  to  tell.  "We 
will  have  PhiFip  this  afternoon,"  said  Uncle  John. 

"The  A-pos'tle  Pliil'ip  is  always  named  as  the  fifth  in  the 
list  of  the  A-pos'tles  born  at  Beth-salda,  so  that  he  also  belongs 
to  that  group  of  boys,  fisherman's  sons,  who  became  famous  in 
the  world  as  A-pos'tles  of  our  Lord. 

"These  boys  were  all  taught  to  look  for  the  Mes-si'ah,  and 
when  John  the  Bap'tist  began  to  preach  'that  the  Mes-si'ah  was 
coming,'  these  young  men,  one  after  another,  followed  him. 

"The  day  after  An'drew  brought  Pe'ter  to  the  S'avior,  Je'- 
sus  began  to  travel  north,  and  on  the  way  met  PhiFip.  With- 
out any  conversation  so  far  as  we  know,  Je'sus  said  to  Phil'ii3: 
'Follow  me,'  and  he  did  so. 

"Some  think  that  Je'sus  had  met  and  known  Philip  before 
this,  but  that  hardly  seems  likely.  It  seems  more  probable  that 
Je'sus'  words  and  presence  had  the  same  effect  on  PhiFip  that 
they  had  on  John,  the  beloved  disciple. 

"Phil'ip  seemed  to  be  much  hke  An'drew  in  disposition,  for 
when  he  had  found  the  Mes-si'ah,  he  sought  out  a  friend  of  his 
called  Na-than'a-el  and  told  him  of  Je'sus.  When  Na-than'a-el 
heard  that  Je'sus  came  from  Naz'a-reth,  he  implied  by  a  ques- 
tion that  no  great  being  could  come  out  of  a  little  country  village 
like  Naz'a-reth;  but  Phil'ip  was  not  disheartened  by  that;  he 
said  simply  but  urgently,  'come  and  see.'  So  he  brought  Na- 
than'a-el  to  Je'sus. 

279 


280  *  The  A-pos'tle  Philip 

"Phirip  on  another  occasion,  with  An'drew,  brought  some 
inquiring  Greeks  to  see  Je'sus.  They  first  approached  PhiFip 
saying,  'We  would  see  Je'sus.'  After  talking  it  over,  they  came 
with  the  request  to  Christ,  who  was  deeply  affected  by  it.  I  sup- 
pose Christ  was  affected  because  it  was  a  prophecy  of  the  time 
that  all  nations  would  seek  him.  Je'sus  offered  a  prayer  at  this 
point,  but  God  answered  by  a  voice  out  of  heaven.  (John  12:28.) 

"This  showed  it  to  be  a  greater  incident  than  the  apostle  at 
first  thought.  This  shows  us  also  that  An'drew  and  PhiFip  were 
close  personal  friends,  that  their  methods  of  work  were  alike, 
and  that  they  loved  to  bring  people  to  Je'sus. 

"Before  Je'sus  fed  the  five  thousand  people  from  five  bar- 
ley loaves  and  two  small  fishes,  he  turned  to  PhiFip  and  asked 
him  where  they  should  buy  bread  to  feed  the  multitude.  Je'sus 
did  this  only  to  draw  PhiFip  out,  for  He  knew  what  He  himself 
intended  doing.  PhiFip  answered  Je'sus  that  it  would  take  a 
great  deal  of  money,  implying  that  it  would  be  impossible.  Then 
An'drew  spoke  up  saying :  'There  is  a  little  boy  here  who  has  five 
barley  loaves  and  two  small  fishes,  but  that  is  nothing  among  so 
many.' 

"These  two  men,  you  see  children,  were  alike.  They  answered 
Je'sus  in  much  the  same  way.  They  were  both  practical  men  but 
Je'sus  had  to  teach  them  the  great  fact  that  nothing  was  impos- 
sible to  divine  power. 

"In  Je'sus'  last  talk,  PhiFip  asked  the  Sa'vior  to  show  God  to 
them.  Je'sus  said  in  substance  that  He  had  been  with  them  a 
long  time,  and  that  knowing  Him,  they  knew  the  Father  also. 
He  further  said  to  PhiFip:  'When  I  am  gone  away,  if  you  will 
ask  anything  in  My  name,  I  will  do  it ;  this  will  show  you,  PhiFip, 
that  My  Father  and  I  are  One.' 

"We  do  not  know  much  of  PhiFip's  life  after  this,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "but  we  are  sure  that  he  kept  on  working  for  Je'sus 


APOSTLE  PHILIP. 


282  The  A-pos'tle  Philip 

earnestly;  indeed,  we  know  that  he  did.    He  remained  in  Je-ru'- 
sa-lem,  even  after  it  was  dangerous  to  stay  there. 

"From  Je-ru'sa-lem  he  went  to  A'sia  Mi'nor  where  he  la- 
bored until  he  died."  "Do  you  know  where  he  died,  Uncle?" 
asked  Pau-line',  who  felt  worried  lest  he  too  had  died  a  mar'tyr. 
"No,"  said  Uncle  John,  "we  do  not  know  when  he  died  or  how, 
but  we  think  he  is  buried  in  A'sia  Mi'nor  where  he  labored  as 
God's  A-pos'tle." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXVIII 

About  whom  is  this  lesson? 
Where  was  Philip  born? 

What  had  he  and  his  friends  been  looking  for? 
Tell  how  Philip  came  to  follow  Jesus. 

What  is  the  first  thing  Philip  did  after  learning  about  Jesus  ? 
Why  didNathanael  first  object  to  Jesus? 
Whom  did  Philip  and  Andrew  afterwards  bring  to  Jesus  ? 
What  prophecy  did  the  coming  of  the  Greeks  fulfill? 
What  strange  thing  happened  when  Jesus  offered  a  prayer? 
What  question  did  Jesus  ask  Philip  about  the  feeding  of  the  five  thou- 
sand people? 

What  did  Philip  answer? 

What  did  Andrew  then  speak  up  and  say  ? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  Philip  should  happen  when  he  was  gone  away? 

What  do  we  know  of  Philip's  life  after  this  ? 

When  did  Philip  die,  and  where  was  he  buried? 


CHAPTER  LXXXIX 

THE   A-POS'TLE   NA-THAN'a-EL 

Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  November 

"Dear  children,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  the  class  convened  early, 
"I  think  we  will  draw  nearer  to  the  fire.  It  is  a  glorious  day,  but 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  frost  in  the  air."  So  they  all  came  nearer 
to  the  glowing  coals  on  the  hearth. 

"Our  lesson  this  morning  is  about  Na-than'a-el,"  said  Uncle 
John.  "This  boy  must  have  been  a  very  welcome  gift  to  his 
father  and  mother ;  I  say  that,  because  of  his  name,  which  means 
the  Gift  of  God.  The  parents  looked  upon  the  baby  as  a  pres- 
ent from  the  Heavenly  Father.  He  was  a  thoughtful,  studious 
boy,  loved  by  his  parents  and  friends.  I  regret  that  we  do  not 
know  his  mother's  name,  but  we  do  know  his  father's,  because 
Na-than'a-el  was  also  called  Bar-thoFo-mew,  which  means  The 
Son  of  Tal'mai.     His  father's  name  therefore  was  TaFmai. 

"Na-than'-a-el's  home  was  in  Ca'na  of  GaFi-lee,  the  place 
you  remember  where  Je'sus  attended  a  friend's  wedding  and 
performed  His  first  miracle.  We  are  told  that  when  Phil'lp 
was  called  to  follow  Je'sus,  he  immediately  sought  out  Na-than- 
a-el. 

"Phirip  and  Na-than'-a-el  were  friends,  and  PhiFip  knew 
what  a  thoughtful  young  man  Na-than'-a-el  was,  and  how  much 
he  was  interested  in  the  Mes-si'ah.  So  Phirip  said  to  Xa-than'- 
a-el,  'we  have  found  the  Mes-si'ah.'  Na-than'-a-el  could  not  be- 
lieve that  so  great  a  person  as  the  SaVior  could  be  found  in  a 
little  village  like  Xaz'a-reth.  So  although  Na-than'a-el  went 
with  Phirip,  it  was  not  to  go  with  any  great  belief  in  the  words 
of  his  friend,  'that  he  had  found  the  Mes-si'ah.' 

"But  when  Na-than'a-el  stood  before  Je'sus  for  the  first 
time,  and  heard  Our  Lord  say:  'Behold  an  Is'ra-el-ite,  indeed, 
in  whom  there  is  no  guile.'    Xa-than'a-el  believed  at  once. 


283 


APOSTLE  NATHANAEL. 


The  A-pos'tle  Na-than'a-el  285 

"The  Is'ra-el-ites  looked  for  the  coming  of  the  Mes-si'ah, 
so  when  Je'sus  showed  that  he  knew  Na-than'a-el's  character, 
and  more  than  this,  knew  his  very  thoughts,  Na-than'a-el  was 
surprised  and  asked  Je'sus  how  he  knew  all  this,  never  having 
seen  him. 

"Je'sus  answered  that  he  not  only  read  people's  hearts,  but 
saw  everything  they  did,  though  miles  away.  He  then  proved 
this  to  Na-than'a-el  by  saying:  'Before  PhiFip  called  you,  I  saw 
you  sitting  under  a  fig  tree.'  This  was  so  convincing  to  Na- 
than'a-el,  that  he  said  to  our  Lord:  'Rab'bi  thou  art  the  Son  of 
God,  thou  art  the  King  of  Is'ra-el.' 

''Je'sus  said  in  substance:  'Na-than'a-el,  do  you  believe  be- 
cause I  saw  you  under  a  fig  tree?  You  shall  see  greater  things 
than  these;  you  shall  see  heaven  opened,  and  the  angels  of  God 
ascending  and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  Man?'  Na-than'a-el 
hesitated  no  longer  but  became  an  apostle  of  Je'sus. 

"We  have  no  further  mention  of  him  or  his  work,  except  that 
he  was  one  of  the  apostles  who  met  Je'sus  on  the  shore  of  the 
sea  of  Gari-lee,  after  Je'sus  had  arisen  from  the  dead.  And, 
finally,  his  name  is  given  in  the  list  of  those  apostles  who  met  to 
elect  Mat-thi'as,  in  the  place  of  Ju'das. 

"But  wherever  Na-than'a-el  went,  and  whatever  he  did,  we 
may  be  sure  that  he  was  always  faithful.  So  the  baby  boy  who 
was  received  as  a  gift  from  God,  was  surely  God's  gift  to  many 
a  sorrowing  heart." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  LXXXIX 

Where  was  Nathanael's  home,  and  what  once  happened  there? 
Did  Nathanael  believe  Philip  when  he  told  him   he  had  found   the 
Messiah? 

What  did  Nathanael  ask  Jesus? 

How  did  Jesus  prove  he  knew  people's  thoughts? 

What  did  Jesus  tell  him  he  should  see  on  account  of  his  faith? 


CHAPTER  XC 

THE   A-POS'tLE   THOM'aS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

In  the  afternoon,  all  were  on  hand  eagerly  waiting  for  Uncle 
John's  story.  Uncle  John  drew  the  arm  chair  up  to  the  win- 
dow, and  looked  out,  as  if  wondering  in  his  own  mind,  why 
Thom'as,  whom  they  were  to  talk  about  this  afternoon,  could 
ever  have  doubted.  He  did  not  give  liis  thoughts  aloud,  but 
began  by  saying:  'We  are  to  talk  about  the  A-pos'tle  Thom'as 
to-day.  We  do  not  know  where  Thom'as  was  born,  who  his 
parents  were,  nor  how  Je'sus  met  him. 

"As  a  man,  he  did  not  accept  anything  without  proof.  This 
must  have  been  his  boyish  character,  as  well  as  his  natural  dis- 
position. He  must  have  been  a  very  serious  child,  looking  on  the 
dark  side  of  things.  We  would  say  of  him  now:  he  crossed  his 
bridges  before  he  came  to  them.  That  must  have  added  to  the 
burdens  of  his  young  heart,  and  his  mother  and  father  must  have 
felt  that  their  child  was  destined  to  lose  much  of  the  joy  of  life. 
But  he  was  always  loyal,  he  never  shirked  anything,  he  would 
willingly  die  for  a  friend. 

"His  name,  meaning  a  twin,  was  pronounced  Thom'as  among 
the  Jew'ish  people.  The  Greek  manner  of  pronouncing  it  was 
Did'y-mus.  We  do  not  know  his  people,  so  we  cannot  tell 
whether  his  twin  was  a  sister  or  a  brother. 

"The  first  instance  where  we  see  Thom'as'  real  nature,  is  on 
the  occasion  when  Je'sus  was  going  to  Beth'a-ny,  to  raise  Laz'a- 
rus  from  the  dead.  Beth'a-ny,  you  remember,  was  a  suburb  of 
Je-ru'sa-lem,  and  on  Je'sus'  former  visit.  His  life  had  been 
threatened.  Now  when  Thom'as  heard  that  the  SaVior  had 
determined  to  return  to  Je-ru'sa-lem,  he  turned  to  his  fellow 
apostles  saying:  'Let  us  go  up  and  die  with  Him.'  This  will 
show  you,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  he  was  inclined  to  take  a 

286 


APOSTLE  THOMAS. 


288  The  A-pos'tle  Thorn' as 

dark  view  of  life,  but  he  did  not,  however,  shrink  from  his  duty, 
even  though  it  might  cause  his  death. 

"And  again  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  John,  when  Je'sus 
is  talking  with  His  disciples  for  the  last  time,  before  His  death, 
and  saying:  'I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you,  and  whither  I  go 
ye  know,  and  the  way  ye  know.'  Thom'as  interrupts  Him  by 
saying:  'We  do  not  know  where  you  are  going,  then  how  can  we 
know  the  way?' 

"This  shows  you,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  Thom'as  is  slow 
to  understand  Je'sus,  but  his  words  indicate  his  desire  to 
know  how  to  follow  Him,  and  if  He  will  only  leave  plain  direc- 
tions, he  will  surely  go  to  Him.  Je'sus  then  explained,  and 
Thom'as  said  no  more. 

"After  Je'sus'  death,  Thom'as  was  in  such  distress  and 
doubt,  that  he  would  not  believe  the  report  of  Christ's  res-ur- 
rec'tion.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  say:  'I  will  not  believe,  ex- 
cept I  can  put  my  fingers  in  the  nail  prints,  and  my  hand  in  the 
side,'  meaning,"  said  Uncle  John,  "where  Je'sus  was  wounded  by 
the  spear  of  the  soldiers.  The  account  which  the  disciples  gave  of 
the  prayer  meeting,  and  how  Je'sus  came  in  their  midst,  how- 
ever, seemed  to  move  him,  for  he  was  present  at  the  meeting 
held  one  week  later. 

"They  had  all  assembled  and  were  saying:  *No  doubt  Je'sua 
will  come  again  to-night,  when  lo  He  stood  before  them.  Je'- 
sus  knowing  what  Thom'as  had  said,  turned  at  once  to  him  and 
replied:  *Thom'as,  reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  put  it  in  the  nail 
prints,  and  stretch  forth  thy  hand  and  put  it  in  my  side,  be  not 
doubting   but   believe.' 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XC 

What  Is  said  about  the  character  of  Thomas? 

What  does  the  word  Thomas  mean? 

How  do  we  know  Thomas  took  a  dark  view  of  life  r 

When  Jesus  told  them  he  was  going  away  what  did  Thomas  say? 

Did  Thomas  first  believe  Christ  arose  from  the  dead? 

When  did  he  believe  it? 


CHAPTER  XCI 

THE  A-POS'TLE   MAT'THEW 

Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  November 

The  brown  and  golden  leaves  of  the  trees  were  on  the 
ground,  formmg  a  pretty  picture,  which  Uncle  John  and  the 
children  enjoyed,  looking  upon,  whilst  waiting  for  the  friends 
who  were  coming  to  the  lesson. 

When  the  friends  came  and  were  seated.  Uncle  John  said: 
"We  take  up  Mat'thew's  life  this  morning.  Like  others  of  his 
countrymen,  he  had  two  names,  Mat'thew  and  LeVi.  We  know 
nothing  of  his  boyhood.  When  a  man,  he  became  a  tax  col- 
lector, and  was  stationed  near  the  sea  of  Gal'i-lee,  and  the  main 
road  travelled  by  the  caravans  from  Da-mas'cus  to  the  ports,  on 
the  Med-i-ter-ra'-ne-an  Sea. 

"Mat'thew  although  a  Jew,  was  hated  by  his  countrymen, 
who  felt  that  no  real  patriot  would  accept  employment  of  the 
Ro'mans,  who  had  conquered  the  Jews.  He  was,  however,  a 
man  of  fine  character,  good  business  qualifications,  and  one  well 
acquainted  with  human  nature. 

"One  day  Je'sus  in  passing  the  tax  booth,  saw  Mat'thew  su- 
perintending the  taxes.  He  said  to  him:  'Follow  me.'  Mat'- 
thew  instantly  arose  and  did  what  Je'sus  commanded.  This 
showed  a  noble  disposition,  for  Mat'thew  was,  no  doubt,  a  man 
of  some  wealth  and  position.  When  he  gave  up  his  old  life,  he 
gave  up  comfort,  the  acquiring  of  fortune,  and  the  association 
of  dear  friends. 

"He  was  a  scholar  in  every  sense,  a  man  of  great  literary 
ability,  being  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  Je'sus*  work. 

"Mat'thew  wrote  a  life  of  Je'sus,  called  the  Gos'pel  of  St. 
Mat'thew,  which  is  one  of  the  books  of  the  New  Tes'ta-ment. 
Mat'thew  does  not  relate  the  incidents  in  Je'sus*  life  in  the  order 
that  they  happened,  but  he  grouped  sermons  in  one  place,  the 

289 


290  The  A-pos'tle  Mafthew 

parables  in  another,  and  the  miracles  in  still  another.  Though 
he  has  been  gone  nearly  2,000  years,  his  words  are  teaching  the 
whole  world. 

"Mat'thew  wrote  this  gospel  to  prove  that  Je'sus  of  Naz'a- 
reth  was  the  Mes-si'ah,  predicted  in  the  Old  Tes'ta-ment.  His 
gospel  is  important  also,  because  it  gives  the  ancestry  of  Je'sus, 
the  Ser'mon  on  the  Mount,  the  parables  of  the  King'dom  of 
Heaven,  and  the  quotations  from  the  Old  Tes'ta-ment,  showing 
that  Je'sus  was  the  Mes-si'ah  predicted. 

"We  do  not  know  much  about  Matthew's  life  work.  But 
from  the  fragmentary  history  that  we  have  of  him,  we  learn  that 
he  labored  in  Je-ru'sa-lem  and  Ju'de-a,  whilst  he  was  writing 
his  book.  After  it  was  completed  he  seems  to  have  gone  to  the 
regions  about  the  Black  Sea,  and  then  to  E-thi-o'pi-a. 

"The  Ro'man  and  the  Greek  church  look  upon  him  as  a 
martyr,  and  claim  that  his  body  lies  in  Sa-ler'no,  in  a  church 
built  by  Rob'ert  Guis'card,  having  been  borne  from  E-thi-o'pi-a 
to  It'aly." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XCI 

Whose  life  do  we  study  in  this  lesson? 
What  two  names  had  he? 
What  do  we  know  of  his  boyhood? 
What  kind  of  a  man  was  Matthew? 
What  happened  one  day  as  Jesus  passed  along? 
How  do  we  know  he  was  an  educated  man  ? 
Tell  how  Matthew  arranged  the  life  of  Jesus. 
Why  did  Matthew  write  the  life  of  Jesus  ? 
Why  is  his  gospel  very  important? 
Where  did  Matthew  live  when  writing  his  book? 
Where  did  he  go  afterwards? 

Where  did  the  tradition  of  the  Roman  and  Greek  church  say  Matthew 
was  buried? 


ArOSTLE  MATTHEW. 


CHAPTER  XCII 

THE   A-POS'TLE    JAMES^   THE   SON    OF   AL-PHAE'US 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Our  lesson  this  afternoon,"  said  Uncle  John,  "is  about  an 
A-pos'tle  by  the  name  of  James,  the  son  of  Al-phae'us.  There 
are  among  the  apostles,  two  by  the  name  of  James,  and  in  or- 
der that  you  may  not  get  them  mixed,  I  want  to  say  that  the  two 
are  no  relation. 

"The  one  we  speak  of  to-day  is  called  James  the  son  of  Al- 
phae'us,  or  'James  and  Less'  as  he  is  sometimes  called.  In  other 
words,  this  James  is  called  'James  the  Less,'  because  James,  the 
son  of  Zeb'e-dee,  whom  we  talked  about  a  few  Sun'days  ago,  was 
so  great.  But  that  is  only  a  title  which  men  have  given  him. 
Je'sus  called  him  as  an  apostle  and  He  never  gave  titles  to  men. 
Indeed,  Je'sus  always  tried  to  show  His  A-pos'tles  that  they 
were  not  to  seek  worldly  titles.  I  think  the  greatest  honor  they 
could  possibly  have  was  that  of  being  called  Je'sus'  A-pos'tle. 

"It  is  a  singular  fact  though,  that  we  do  not  know  of  one 
single  act  the  'James  the  Less'  did,  whilst  in  the  world.  His 
name  appears  in  the  list  of  apostles,  and  he  was  with  Je'sus  dur- 
ing His  ministry. 

"He  also  took  part  in  the  work  which  Je'sus  gave  to  the 
twelve  apostles,  when  he  sent  them  out  two  by  two.  Who  his 
companion  was  on  that  tour,  we  do  not  know,  but  he  received 
the  Lord's  commendation  as  much  as  the  others  who  labored  in 
the  same  cause. 

"When  Je'sus  was  gone  to  heaven,  James  faithfully  assisted 
in  carrying  out  Je'sus'  work.  We  have  no  doubt  that  he  la- 
bored among  the  great  crowds  of  pilgrims  who  came  up  to  Je- 
ru'sa-lem,  and  ministered  to  the  needy,  and  the  sorrowing  of  the 
great  city. 

292 


APOSTLE  JAMES,  SON  OF  ALPHEUS. 


294  The  A-pos'tle  James 

"We  may  take  great  comfort  from  this  man's  life.  It  is 
much  like  the  majority  of  people  who  work  for  Je'sus.  No  one 
ever  knows  about  them  or  hears  what  they  are  doing,  but  God 
knows,  and  as  James'  name  is  recorded  in  the  books  of  God's 
remembrance,  so  is  the  name  of  the  faithful,  but  obscure,  dis- 
ciple, who  has  done  his  best,  written  in  God's  great  Boo  kof  Life. 

"It  may  be  just  such  a  person  as  James,  some  man  or  some 
woman,  of  whom  the  world  has  never  heard,  who  shall  occupy 
the  places  of  honor  in  the  King'dom  of  God.  For  Je'sus  has 
shown  us  in  the  Widow's  Mite,  that  the  greatness  of  power  is  in 
the  heart,  not  in  the  fame  of  man." 

"How  did  James  die.  Uncle,  was  he  martyred?"  asked  Pau- 
line'. "I  do  not  know,  dear  child,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Some 
historians  say  that  he  was  crucified  in  E'gypt,  but  it  is  not  known 
for  a  certainty." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XCII 

About  whom  is  this  lesson.'' 
What  relation  were  the  two  apostles,  James,'* 
Why  is  this  James  called  "James  the  less?" 
What  act  of  "James  the  less"  do  we  know  about  ? 
If  he  did  not  do  anything  alone,  what  did  he  do? 
What  did  he  do  in  connection  with  others? 
After  Jesus  was  gone,  what  did  James  probably  do  ? 
How  is  James'  life  a  comfort  to  people  now? 
Tell  what  you  can  about  James'  death? 


CHAPTER  XCIII 

ju'das  is-car'i-ot 
Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  November 

"What  are  we  going  to  talk  about  to-day,  Uncle,"  said  Pau- 
line^  as  a  group  of  cliildren  came  in  and  sat  down  close  to  Uncle 
John. 

"To-day  we  are  to  talk  about  Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot,"  said  Uncle 
John.  "That  is  awfully  sad,"  said  Pau-line'.  "Yes,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "and  as  we  talked  about  him  in  the  lesson  on  Je'- 
sus'  betrayal,  we  won't  dwell  upon  him  here.  His  name  is  per- 
haps the  most  despised  in  all  history.  We  know  very  little  of 
his  boyhood.  He  was  the  only  apostle  born  outside  of  GaFi-lee. 
His  title,  Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot,  however,  shows  he  was  born  in 
Ke'-ri-oth,  a  town  of  Judea.  His  father's  name  was  Si'mon, 
but  aside  from  that,  we  know  almost  nothing  about  his  parents, 
his  education,  or  even  his  early  influences,  or  why  Je'sus  should 
have  selected  him  to  be  an  apostle. 

"In  boyhood  he  may  have  had  a  kind,  beautiful  disposition. 
It  would  seem  from  his  faithful  work  as  the  treasurer  of  Je'sus' 
band  of  apostles,  that  he  tried  to  do  his  best.  But  why  he  be- 
came so  avaricious  at  the  last,  as  to  betray  Je'sus,  is  a  question 
that  even  scholars  cannot  agree  upon.  Some  say  that  the  hand- 
ling of  money  slowly  developed  that  terrible  character,  which 
has  made  his  name  stand  alone  in  all  the  world. 

"His  death  proves  that  there  was  some  good  left  in  him,  for 
when  he  realized  what  he  had  done,  he  endeavored  to  repair  the 
injury  by  declaring  Je'sus  innocent,  and  returning  the  money. 
When  he  found  it  too  late  he  went  and  hung  himself." 

295 


APOSTLE  BARTHOLOMEW. 


CHAPTER  XCIV 

ju'das  not  is-car'i-ot 
Afternoon  Lesson 

"I  hope,  Uncle  John,"  said  Pau-line^  as  the  class  convened, 
"that  we  have  something  real  cheerful  to  talk  about  to-day.  Our 
story  of  Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot  made  me  sad.  I  think  he  must  have 
been  the  worst  man  in  the  whole  world  to  betray  Je'sus  with  a 
kiss,  for  while  you  did  not  mention  it  at  our  last  lesson  you  did 
when  we  were  talking  about  the  arrest  of  Je'sus  some  weeks 
ago." 

"Yes,  it  was  a  sad  lesson,  dear  child,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but 
let  us  remember  that  Je'sus  himself  forgave  all  who  sinned 
against  Him. 

"To-day  we  have  a  short,  sweet  lesson.  It  is  about  another 
Ju'das,  but  no  relation  of  Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot.  Some  writers,  in 
order  to  distinguish  tliis  Ju'das  from  Ju'das  the  betrayer  of  our 
Lord,  calls  him  'JuMas  Not  Is-car'i-ot.' 

"Ju'das  Not  Is-car'i-ot,  is  one  of  three  apostles  whom  we 
know  little  about.  We  do  not  know  who  his  people  were,  where 
he  labored,  nor  where  he  died.  There  is  but  one  mention  of  him, 
except  as  he  is  placed  in  the  list  of  the  apostles. 

"The  one  mention  of  him  is  in  John  XIV  :22.  Je'sus  in  talk- 
ing to  the  apostles  after  Ju'das  Is-car'i-ot  had  left,  said  that  He 
would  manifest  himself  to  them,  as  he  would  not  manifest 
himself  to  the  world.  Then  Ju'das  asked  Je'sus  how  he  would 
appear  to  them.  Je'sus  said,  'that  when  anyone  loved  Him  they 
would  keep  His  word,  and  not  only  would  He  come  to  them,  but 
God  also  would  come  to  them.' 

"This  is  a  great  thought,"  said  Uncle  John,  "which  Ju'das 
brought  out,  and  shows  he  had  a  bright  and  beautiful  mind." 

297 


CHAPTER  XCV 

THE  A-POS'TLE  SI'mON  ZE-LO'TES 

Morning  Lesson — First  Sunday  in  December 

"I  wish  to  call  your  attention,  children,"  said  Uncle  John,  "to 
the  fact  that  we  have  two  Si'mons  among  the  A-pos'tles,  just  as 
we  have  two  Ju'das  and  two  James.  One  Si'mon  is  called  Si'- 
mon  Pe'ter,  the  other  is  called  Si'mon  Ze-lo'tes  or  ZeaFous,  so 
named  because  he  belonged  to  a  band  of  Jew'ish  patriots  by  that 
name. 

"These  patriots  refused  to  recognize  the  Ro'man  government. 
You  will  remember,  that  when  Je'sus  was  born,  his  parents  were 
in  Bethle-hem  for  the  purpose  of  paying  taxes  to  the  Ro'man 
government.  On  occasions  of  this  kind  the  Ze-lo'tes  refused  to 
pay  taxes.  They  would  flee  to  some  place  easily  defended,  and 
defy  the  Ro'man  government  or  else  they  would  go  to  prison,  but 
they  would  not  pay  the  tax.  They  felt  that  God  had  given  them 
the  Holy  Land,  and  that  it  was  nothing  short  of  treason  to  rec- 
ognize any  government  but  God's. 

"Si'mon  was  a  member  of  this  band  when  Je'sus  called  him 
to  be  an  a-pos'tle.  His  parents  are  not  known,  we  do  not  even 
know  where  he  labored,  nor  how  or  when  Je'sus  called  him  to  be 
an  A-pos'tle.     We  do  not  know  when,  where,  or  how,  he  died. 

"I  have  no  doubt  he  dreamed  that  Je'sus  would  found  a  Jew'- 
ish  nation  and  drive  out  the  Ro'mans.  But  more  and  more  he  per- 
ceived that  Je'sus'  kingdom  was  a  heavenly  one  and  he  gave  him- 
self to  that  fact  with  the  same  zeal  that  he  gave  to  the  party  of 
patriots. 

"He  learned  a  great  lesson,  that  God  was  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons, and  that  Ro'mans  and  Jews  alike,  were  the  children  of  one 
heavenly  Father." 

298 


APOSTLE  SIMON. 


CHAPTER  XCVI 

THE  A-POS'TLE   MAT-THI'aS 

Afternoon  Lesson 

When  they  came  together  in  the  afternoon,  Uncle  John  said : 
"It  is  proper,  dear  children,  that  we  speak  of  the  apostle  who  was 
selected  to  take  Ju'das'  place.  Let  us  turn  to  the  Acts  of  the 
A-pos'tles  and  see  how  it  was  done.  I  will  ask  Pau-line'  to  read 
the  account,  Acts  1-15-26." 

When  she  had  finished.  Uncle  John  said:  "You  see,  Pe'ter 
stated,  that  the  one  thing  necessary  in  choosing  an  apostle,  was 
that  he  should  have  been  with  Je'sus  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  his  work  on  earth. 

"It  is  an  interesting  matter  to  know  that  there  were  at  least 
two  people  who  knew  all  about  Je'sus;  who  had  made  journeys 
with  Him,  worked  with  Him,  and  believed  in  Him,  though  they 
are  now  mentioned  for  the  first  time,  Mat-thi'as  and  Jus'tus." 

"Uncle  John,"  said  Phoe'be  Ware,  "do  you  think  that  Jus'tus 
was  disappointed  because  he  was  not  made  an  apostle?"  "I  do 
not  think  so,  my  dear,"  said  Uncle  John.  "It  was  a  position  of 
great  work  and  many  anxieties  and  Jus'tus  was  doubtless  con- 
tent to  continue  work,  as  a  plain  disciple.  The  disciples  did  not 
look  so  much  to  the  honor  of  the  position  as  to  their  ability  to  do 
good." 

Sterring  White,  a  visitor,  who  had  been  much  interested  in  a 
recent  election  said:  "Mr.  Rusk,  did  you  not  say  that  Mat-thi'as 
was  elected  ?  I  notice  that  in  the  scripture  Pau-line'  read,  it  says : 
the  lot  fell  upon  Mat-thi'as.  Will  you  tell  us  what  the  lot  meant, 
and  how  it  was  cast?"  "That  is  a  good  question,  and  I  shall  be 
pleased  to  do  so,"  said  Uncle  John,  as  he  placed  his  hand  on  young 
White's  head.  "There  is  a  passage  of  scripture  relating  to  this 
in  Prov'erbs  XVI :33.  It  reads  as  follows:  'The  lot  is  cast  into 
the  lap :  but  the  whole  disposing  thereof  is  of  the  Lord.'  That  was 

300 


The  A-pos'tle  Mat-tUas  301 

the  usual  way,"  said  Uncle  John,  "but  on  this  occasion  each  apos- 
tle cast  a  ballot.    The  majority  preferring  Mat-thi'as. 

"So  whilst  men  were  casting  the  lot,  let  us  remember,  dear 
children,  that  it  was  God  who  was  choosing,  for,  before  casting 
lots,  they  had  prayed  for  wisdom. 

"As  for  Mat-thi'as'  life,  we  do  not  know  much  about  it,  almost 
nothing,  yet  we  may  rest  assured  that  he  carried  on  a  good  work 
for  Je'sus,  and  was  faithful  to  the  end.  When  he  died,  or  how, 
or  where  he  is  buried,  we  know  not." 

"Why  is  it.  Uncle  John,  that  so  little  is  known  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  A-pos'tles  ?  It  hardly  seems  right,  does  it,  to  have  them 
forgotten?"  said  Pau-line'.  "Why,  yes,  Pau-line',  child,"  said 
Uncle  John,  "from  man's  standpoint  it  would  perhaps  seem 
wrong,  but  from  God's  it  is  different.  Their  work  here  has  ceased, 
their  names,  sacrifices  and  deeds  are  recorded  above,  and  their 
influence  still  lives.  We  would,  however,  doubtless  have  their 
history,  had  there  been  some  historian  in  their  section." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XCVI 

What  apostle  are  we  going  to  speak  about  this  afternoon.'' 
What  was  necessary  in  choosing  an  apostle  ? 
What  two  people  had  been  with  Jesus  all  the  time? 
Why  was  justice  not  disappointed  when  Matthias  instead  of  himself 
was  made  apostle? 

What  question  did  Sterling  White  ask? 

What  did  the  apostles  do  before  casting  lots? 

What  do  we  know  about  Matthias  and  his  life? 


CHAPTER  XCVII 

EARLY  LIFE  OF  PAUL 

Morning  Lesson — Second  Sunday  in  December 

The  days  with  Uncle  John  were  now  coming  to  a  close,  and 
each  and  every  person,  old  and  young,  were  on  hand  early,  to 
have  a  little  talk  with  him  before  the  lesson  began. 

"My  dear  friends,"  said  Uncle  John,  "you  have  doubtless 
heard  much  about  Paul.  I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  his  life,  for 
he  is  esteemed  by  many  to  be  the  greatest  figure  in  the  Chris'tian 
world  next  to  Je^sus.  Paul,  though,  is  not  numbered  among  the 
early  apostles.  He  was  not  even  converted  until  Je'sus  had  been 
some  time  in  heaven.  Je'sus  then  came  down  and  spoke  to  Paul, 
and  it  so  affected  him  that  he  at  once  became  an  apostle  of  the 
Lord,  a  most  ardent  worker,  and  one  willing  to  suffer  martyrdom 
for  the  sake  of  Je'sus. 

"But  you  will  be  surprised,  however,  to  know  that  Paul's  boy- 
hood promised  to  be  a  worldly  life.  He  was  arrogant,  hostile  and 
proud ;  a  Rodman  citizen  by  birth,  and  a  native  of  Tar'sus. 

"After  finishing  school  in  Tar'sus,  he  entered  the  school  of 
Ga-mali-el,  at  Je-ru'sa-lem.  After  finishing  his  education,  he 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Jew'ish  Council. 

"The  death  of  Ste'phen  had  caused  many  disciples  to  leave 
Je-ru'sa-lem,  but  they  all  preached  in  Je'sus'  name.  They  went 
everywhere,  into  all  the  villages,  towns  and  cities,  telling  about 
His  wonderful  life. 

"This  aroused  the  authorities  at  Je-ru'sa-lem,  and  they  deter- 
mined to  put  a  stop  to  it.  Paul,  who  by  talent  and  education, 
seemed  fitted  as  a  leader,  was  selected  for  the  work.  He  was  now 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  was  given  letters  to  show  he 
had  the  power  to  arrest,  and  to  try  Chris'tians  wherever  he  might 
find  them,  so  he  went  out,  determined  to  put  an  end  to  the  great 
movement  which  Je'sus  had  begun. 

S02 


The  Early  Life  of  Paul  303 

"One  day  at  noon  he  was  approaching  Da-mas'cus  in  company 
with  other  officials  and  friends,  aiding  in  the  overthrow  of  Chris'- 
tianity,  when  a  light  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun  suddenly 
shone  around  about  him,  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  voice  said:  'Saul, 
Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me?'  Saul  then  answered,  'Who  art 
thou,  Lord  V  The  voice  said :  'I  am  Je'sus,  whom  thou  persecut- 
est.' "Saul,"  said  Uncle  John,  "then  saw  Je'sus  and  talked  to 
Him."  "How  did  it  affect  Saul,  Uncle?"  said  Paul.  "He  and 
all  his  company  were  so  shocked  that  they  fell  to  the  ground,"  said 
Uncle  John. 

"Then  Je'sus  told  him  to  rise  to  his  feet,  and  to  go  into  the 
city,  and  there  he  would  be  told  what  to  do. 

"Saul,  arose,  trembling  and  astonished,  then  he  opened  his 
eyes,  but  could  not  see.  They  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  led  him 
into  the  city.  Saul  remained  without  sight  for  three  days,  and 
was  so  troubled  that  he  could  not  eat. 

"Now  there  was  in  the  city  a  certain  disciple,  An-ani'as,  whom 
Je'sus  had  \asited.  Je'sus  said  to  An-a-ni'as,  I  wish  you  to  go  to 
Saul,  he  lodges  with  Ju'das,  in  the  street  called  Straight.  He  hath 
seen  in  a  vision  a  man  named  An-a-ni'as  come  in  and  put  his 
hand  on  him,  and  he  received  his  sight. 

"An-a-ni'as  began  to  tell  Je'sus  how  cruel  Saul  had  been,  and 
that  he  had  come  to  Da-mas'cus  to  repeat  those  cruelties.  Je'sus 
told  him  He  knew  all  tliis,  but  that  Saul  would  now  become  a 
worker  in  the  Kingdom  of  God." 

"I  am  all  mixed  up  Uncle  John,"  said  Paul,  "sometimes  you 
say  Paul  and  sometimes  Saul,  are  both  the  same  person,  and  why 
was  he  sometimes  called  Paul  and  sometimes  Saul?"  "Saul  was 
the  Jew'ish  name,  and  Paul  the  Ro'man,  my  dear  boy,"  said 
Uncle  John. 

"An-a-ni'as  said  nothing  more,  but  went  and  visited  the  house 
of  Ju'das,  saying  to  Saul,  'Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even  Je'sus, 
who  appeared  to  thee  on  the  way  hath  sent  me.*    An-a-ni'as  then 


304  The  Early  Life  of  Paul 

laid  his  hands  on  Saul  and  he  recovered  his  sight,  was  baptized  and 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spir'it.  Saul  partook  of  food  also,  and  was 
strengthened. 

"He  then  began  to  preach  Je'sus,  and  all  that  heard  him  were 
amazed. 

"Soon  after  this  change  in  his  life,  he  took  a  journey  to  A-ra'- 
bi-a  for  the  purpose  of  silence,  meditation  and  study.  We  do  not 
know  how  long  he  remained,  but  it  is  supposed  about  three  years. 
When  he  had  finished  his  life  in  the  silence,  he  returned  to  preach 
Je'sus  in  Da-mas'cus. 

"Here  he  met  with  great  success,  in  fact,  his  success  was  so 
great,  that  he  aroused  the  anger  of  those  who  did  not  believe  in 
Je'sus  and  his  friends  were  compelled  to  lower  him  in  a  basket  by 
night  over  the  city  walls,  that  he  might  escape. 

"Prom  Da-mas'cus  he  went  to  Je-ru'sa-lem.  Here  the  Chris'- 
tians  were  suspicious  of  him.  Bar'na-bas  explained  Saul's  conver- 
sion. Then  they  rejoiced,  and  received  him  as  a  brother,  and  as 
an  apostle. 

"Saul's  life  again  was  in  great  danger.  When  the  brethren 
saw  this  they  took  him  to  Caes-a-re'a,  on  the  coast  of  the  Med-i- 
ter-ra'ne-an  Sea,  where  he  took  ship  for  his  old  home,  the  city  of 
Tar'sus.'* 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XCVII 

What  kind  of  a  young  man  was  Paul? 

What  did  the  rulers  at  Jerusalem  determine  to  do? 

What  wonderful  thing  happened  as  Paul  came  near  to  Damascus  ? 

What  did  Jesus  finally  tell  Saul  to  do? 

Tell  of  Saul's  three  days  in  Damascus? 

Tell  about  the  visit  of  Jesus  to  Ananias  ? 

What  did  Ananias  say  to  Jesus? 

What  did  Saul  do  after  being  baptized? 

Where  did  Paul  now  go? 

After  three  years  what  did  be  begin  to  do  ? 

How  did  Paul  escape  from  his  enemies  in  Damascus? 


CHAPTER  XCVIII    * 

PAULAS  WORK  IN  AN'tI-OCH 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"We  are  to  talk  to-day  about  Paul's  work  in  An'ti-och,"  were 
the  opening  words  of  Uncle  John,  to  the  children  and  friends,  as 
they  gathered  around  him  to  hear  more  about  Paul  and  his  work. 

"An'ti-och  was  one  of  the  three  great  cities  of  the  world  at 
this  time.  It  was  a  most  beautiful,  wealthy,  yet  a  wicked  city, 
about  300  miles  from  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"When  the  Chris'tians  were  scattered  at  the  death  of  Ste'- 
phen,  some  traveled  as  far  as  An'ti-och.  They  preached  the  gos- 
pel wherever  they  went,  and  in  consequence  of  tliis,  a  great  work 
sprung  up  in  this  city,  especially  among  the  Gen'tiles. 

"When  the  church  at  Je-ru'sa-lem  heard  of  this,  it  sent  Bar'- 
na-bas  to  take  charge  of  the  work.  He  was  liberal  minded,  and 
everybody  loved  him,  but  he  soon  saw  that  it  needed  some  one 
greater  than  himself,  so  he  went  to  Tar'sus,  found  Paul  and 
took  him  back  to  An'ti-och. 

"They  labored  together  for  a  year,  with  amazing  results. 
About  this  time  certain  brethren  came  up  from  Je-ru'sa-lem, 
among  them  a  prophet,  to  whom  God  had  revealed  the  fact  that 
there  was  to  be  a  great  famine,  in  and  around  Je-ru'sa-lem. 
When  the  members  of  the  church  in  An'ti-och  heard  this,  they 
concluded  to  send  money  to  help  the  church  in  Je-ru'sa-lem.  So 
the  church  raised  funds  and  asked  Paul  and  Bar'na-bas  to  carry 
the  gift  up,  which  they  did.  After  Paul  and  Bar'na-bas  had 
delivered  the  treasure,  and  conferred  with  the  brethren  on  other 
matters,  they  returned  to  An'ti-och,  bringing  John  Mark,  a  bril- 
liant young  man,  with  them." 

"Didn't  they  stop  anywhere,  going  or  coming,  Uncle?"  asked 
Pau-line'.    "Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "on  their  way  to  Je-ru'sa- 

305 


306  Paul  in  An'ti-och 

lem,  they  stopped  at  Caes-a-re'a,  a  large  city  on  the  coast  of  the 
Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an  Sea. 

"At  this  time,  King  Her'od  A-grip'pa  was  in  the  city.  It 
was  he,  you  remember,  who  had  ordered  James,  the  brother  of 
John,  beheaded,  and  who  had  also  put  Pe'ter,  whom  the  angel 
released,  in  prison. 

''Well,  shortly  after  King  Her'od  A-grip'pa  had  beheaded 
James,  he  went  to  Caes-a-re'a  to  participate  in  a  festival  held  in 
honor  of  Em'per-or  Clau'di-us.  The  theater  where  the  people 
assembled  was  crowded,  and  Her'od  appeared  before  them  gaud- 
ily arrayed;  when  the  sun  fell  upon  his  robe,  it  shone  with  such 
splendor  that  the  people  fairly  shouted  with  admiration.  After 
the  shouting  had  ceased,  Her'od  addressed  them,  whereupon  the 
people  said  he  was  not  a  man,  but  a  god. 

"Because  he  permitted  this  blasphemy,"  said  Uncle  John,  "an 
angel  struck  him  with  disease,  and  he  died  after  five  days  of  ill- 
ness." 

"Served  him  right,"  said  Paul,  who  was  always  ready  to  sanc- 
tion punishment.  "Not  too  harsh  my  boy,"  said  Uncle  John. 
"King  Her'od  A-grip'pa  was  not  brought  up  as  you  have  been, 
by  Chris'tian  parents.    He  was  taught  to  love  only  himself." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XCVIII 

What  are  we  to  talk  about  today? 

Tell  us  about  Antioch?  ,     . 

How  did  Christians  happen  to  be  in  Antioch? 

How  did  Paul  happen  to  go  to  Antioch? 

What  did  the  people  at  Antioch  send  to  Jerusalem? 

Who  did  Paul  and  Barnabas  bring  back  from  Jerusalem? 

Where  did  they  stop  on  their  way  to  Jerusalem? 

Tell  of  Herod  Agrippa's  address  to  the  people? 

What  happened  to  him? 


CHAPTER  XCIX 

PAULAS  FIRST  MISSIONARY  TOUR 

Morning  Lesson — Third  Sunday  in  December 

"What  is  a  missionary  tour,  Uncle?"  asked  Pau-line'.  "A 
missionary  tour,  dear  cliild,"  said  Uncle  John,  "is  the  sending  out 
of  one  or  more  men,  sometimes  women,  into  a  foreign  land,  to 
teach  the  heathen  about  God.  All  the  A-pos'tles  were  mission- 
aries. 

"To-day  we  are  to  talk  aboout  Paul's  first  missionary  tour. 
It  began  this  way :  There  were  certain  eminent  men  in  An'ti-och, 
prophets  and  teachers,  whom  God  spoke  to,  saying:  send  Bar'na- 
bas  and  Saul  on  a  missionary  tour.  So  they  went,  taking  John 
Mark  with  them. 

"They  sailed  down  the  O-ron'tes  river,  where  they  took  ship 
for  the  Island  of  Cy'press.  They  did  not  remain  there  long,  but 
while  they  stayed,  did  much  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  people,  show-, 
ing  them  it  was  God  who  did  all  the  wonderful  works,  not  Sor'- 
cer-ers,  as  the  people  had  been  led  to  think. 

"From  the  Is'land  of  Cy'press,  the  three  missionaries  sailed 
to  the  main  land  of  A'sia.  Here  John  Mark  left  them,  returning 
to  Je-ru'sa-lem. 

"From  the  coast,  Paul  and  Bar'na-bas  traveled  inland  over 
the  mountains,  to  another  An'ti-och,  where  the  gospel  had  never 
been  preached.  Paul,  being  a  tentmaker  by  trade,  sought  out  that 
quarter  of  the  city  where  the  work  was  carried  on,  supporting 
himself,  and  at  the  same  time,  speaking  for  Je'sus  when  he  could. 
In  this  city  Paul  and  Bar'na-bas  did  a  great  work,  both  among 
the  Jews  and  Gen'tiles. 

"But  after  awhile,  the  authorities  objected,  and  expelled  them 
from  the  town.  They  then  walked  to  the  next  city,  I-co'ni-um, 
where  they  at  first  had  gi-and  success ;  but  after  awhile,  their  ene- 
mies stoned  them  and  they  fled  to  Lys'tra,  where  they  also  met 
with  much  success,  but  were  greatly  persecuted. 

307 


308  Paul's  First  Tour 

"While  at  Lys'tra,  Paul's  enemies  stoned  and  dragged  him  out 
of  the  town,  and  left  him  for  dead.  His  friends  thought  at  first 
he  was  dead.  This  was  a  great  shock  to  Paul's  system,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  he  ever  fully  recovered.  In  writing  of  his  trials  he 
said:    'Once  was  I  stoned.' 

"From  Lys'tra,  Paul  and  Bar'na-bas  moved  on  to  Der'be, 
twenty  miles  away,  where  they  had  peaceful  times.  At  Der'be, 
Paul  found  Tim'o-thy,  a  young  disciple,  whose  father  was  a  Greek, 
but  whose  mother  was  a  Jew'ess.  He  was  a  beautiful  young  fel- 
low, and  afterward  became  pastor  of  the  great  church  at  Eph'e- 
sus.  Paul  always  had  a  high  regard  for  Tim'o-thy,  and  on  two 
different  occasions  wrote  long  letters  to  him,  called  'Paul's  E-pis'- 
tles  to  TimVthy.' 

"Soon  after  Paul's  recovery,  he  and  Bar'na-bas  retraced  their 
steps,  organizing  churches  and  appointing  elders  in  all  the  cities 
they  had  visited.  They  then  took  ship  for  An'ti-och,  the  place 
from  which  they  had  started,  glad,  as  they  sailed  up  the  river  to 
its  green  banks  again. 

"On  their  arrival,  they  called  the  church  together,  rehearsing 
their  trials  and  triumphs.  Here  they  rested  for  some  time,  dwell- 
ing with  the  disciples.  This  was  the  end  of  their  first  missionary 
journey." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  XCIX      ^ 

Tell  of  the  beginning  of  Paul's  first  missionary  tour  and  who  went  with 
him. 

What  did  they  teach  the  people  at  the  Island  of  Cypress  ? 

What  city  did  they  go  to? 

Why  did  they  leave  Antioch  and  where  did  they  go? 

What  happened  to  them  in  Iconium  and  where  did  they  flee  from  there? 

Tell  what  happened  to  Paul  in  Lystra? 

Whom  did  Paul  find  at  Derbe  ? 

Where  did  Paul  and  Barnabas  go  after  leaving  Derbe? 


ArOSTLE  PAUL. 


CHAPTER  C 

PAULAS  SECOND  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"Paul  was  a  fine  preacher.  Uncle  John,  wasn't  he?"  said  Pau- 
line'. "This  makes  me  think,  I  want  our  Paul  to  be  a  minister, 
too.    Do  you  think  he  is  good  enough.  Uncle  John?" 

"Paul  certainly  has  a  good  start,"  said  Uncle  John.  "He  is 
willing  to  work,  is  ready  to  help ;  and  now  if  he  will  learn  to  let 
God  punish  people  for  their  sins,  and  not  be  too  anxious  about  it 
himself,  I  think  he  will  make  a  fine  teacher,  and  a  fine  preacher. 

"Well,  now  to  our  lesson.  Paul  and  Bar'na-bas  each  are  about 
to  go  on  a  second  missionary  journey. 

"Bar'na-bas  this  time  took  John  Mark,  and  sailed  for  Cy'press, 
whilst  Paul  took  a  young  fellow  by  the  name  of  Silas,  and  went 
overland  through  Tar'sus,  his  old  home,  then  on  to  Der'be  and 
Lys'tra.  At  the  latter  places,  Paul  again  met  Tim'o-thy  and  finds 
him  so  gifted,  that  he  persuades  him  to  join  them.  They  then  re- 
visited I-co'ni-um,  An'ti-och,  in  Pi-sid'-i-a  and  remained  a  long 
while  in  the  province  of  Ga-la'ti-a.  Whilst  wondering  where  they 
should  go  next,  they  are  directed  by  the  spirit  to  go  to  Tro'as. ' 

"At  Tro'as  they  met  Luke,  a  physician,  who  was  also  a  Chris- 
tian. Luke  was  a  great  scholar  and  did  much  literary  work.  He 
wrote  the  gospel  of  that  name,  and  also  the  book  of  Acts.  He  ac- 
companied Paul  over  a  portion  of  his  journey,  and  was  with  him 
a  great  deal  during  his  later  life. 

"Whilst  at  Tro'as,  Paul  had  a  vision.  A  man  appeared  before 
him  saying:  'Come  over  into  Mac-e-do'ni-a  and  help  us.'  When- 
ever Paul  had  a  vision  he  knew  God  sent  it,  so  they  all  went  to 
Mac-e-do'ni-a,  stopping  on  the  way,  at  Plii-lip'pi. 

"At  Phi-lip'pi  they  saw  a  group  of  women,  who  had  occasion- 
ally met  on  the  river  bank  for  the  purpose  of  religious  study.    The 

310 


Paul's  Second  Journey  311 

leader,  a  woman,  was  engaged  in  selling  purple  dye.  Paul  spoke 
to  her,  and  Lyd'i-a  believed,  was  baptized,  and  received  into  the 
church.  This  was  the  first  convert  in  Europe,  and  the  beginning 
of  a  great  work  in  the  city  of  Phi-lip'pi. 

"After  awhile  Paul  and  Silas  began  to  suffer  persecution. 
They  were  beaten  and  cast  into  prison.  They  did  not  complain 
but  sang  praises. 

"Soon  after  this,  an  earthquake  shook  the  country  with  terrific 
force ;  it  even  opened  prison  doors  and  loosed  the  prisoners.  The 
jailor  was  so  much  alarmed,  thinking  Paul  and  Silas  had  escaped, 
that  he  was  about  to  kill  himself,  when  Paul  said:  'Do  thy  self 
no  harm  for  we  are  all  here.' 

"The  jailor  took  Paul  and  Silas  into  his  own  home,  bathed 
their  wounds  and  fed  them.  Paul  converted  the  jailor,  baptized 
liim  and  his  household,  and  received  them  into  the  church. 

"From  Phi-lip'pi,  Paul  and  Silas  went  to  Thes-sa-lo-ni'ca. 
Here  they  met  with  great  success.  Some  Jews  and  many  Gen'- 
tiles  came  into  the  church.  But  Paul,  seeing  trouble  for  the  Chris- 
tians, went  on  to  Be-re'a. 

"Their  stay  at  Be-re'a  was  full  of  good  things  for  a  time.  They 
preached  Je'sus  in  the  synagogue,  and  the  people  studied  the 
scriptures. 

"But  after  a  time,  enemies  came  up  from  Thes-sa-lo-ni'ca. 
Paul  was  gotten  out  of  the  city,  and  carried  to  a  port  sixteen 
miles  distant,  where  he  took  ship  for  Ath'ens. 

"At  Ath'ens,  Paul  preached  to  the  people  from  Mars  Hill. 
This  was  his  most  noted  and  learned  speech.  He  talked  to  the 
great  scholars  of  the  world. 

"From  Ath'ens  he  went  to  Corinth,  a  rich  and  wicked  city. 
Among  the  places  of  amusement,  was  a  Sta'di-um.  The  people 
came  from  all  parts  of  Greece  to  witness  the  games.  Here  Paul 
had  great  opportunities,  amidst  great  crowds  of  people.  Here 
he  met  Aq'ui-la  and  Pris-cilla,  husband  and  wife,  who  had  been 


312  PauVs  Second  Journey 

driven  from  Rome,  with  other  Jews,  by  the  decree  of  the  Em'- 
per-or.  They  were  tentmakers  by  trade,  and  as  they  were  of  the 
same  craft  as  Paul,  he  abode  with  them  and  they  all  worked  at 
their  trade. 

"Paul  was  permitted  to  preach  in  the  synagogue,  and  Cris'- 
pus,  the  chief  ruler,  became  a  Christian.  This  aroused  opposition, 
but  the  Lord  appeared  to  Paul,  telling  him  to  remain  in  Cor'inth, 
for  many  people  would  believe,  and  he  would  not  be  hurt.  He 
was  once  brought  before  the  Governor,  but  upon  hearing  the 
charges,  Paul's  accusers  were  driven  from  the  court. 

"Paul  had  now  been  absent  from  Je-ru'sa-lem  about  three 
years,  and  he  desired  to  go  back,  and  meet  the  old  church.  So  he 
bade  good-bye  to  the  church  of  Cor'inth,  and  taking  Aq'ui-la  and 
Pris-ciria  with  him,  journeyed  to  Je-ru'sa-lem." 

"What  became  of  Silas,  Uncle  John,  was  he  killed?"  asked 
Pau-line'.  "No,"  said  Uncle  John,  "Silas  and  Tim'o-thy  had 
remained  behind,  but  they  joined  Paul  on  the  way,  and  all  went 
up  to  Je-ru'sa-lem  together.  Paul  remained  only  a  short  time 
then  returned  to  Anli-och.  This  ended  his  second  missionary 
journey." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  C 

What  friend  did  Paul  and  Silas  visit? 

Whom  did  Paul,  Timothy  and  Silas  meet  at  Troas? 

Tell  about  Luke  and  what  he  wrote. 

What  strange  thing  happened  to  Paul  at  Troas? 

Tell  about  the  woman  they  met  at  Philippi. 

What  happened  while  Paul  and  Silas  sang  in  prison  at  Philippi? 

Tell  of  the  jailor  at  Philippi. 

Tell  of  Paul  at  Thessalonica  and  Berea. 

Where  did  Paul  preach  in  Athens? 

Whom  did  Paul  meet  at  the  Stadium? 

What  did  Paul  do  while  in  Corinth? 

Tell  why  Paul  remained  so  long  in  Corinth  ? 

Tell  about  the  visit  of  Paul,  Aquila  and  Priscilla  to  Jerusalem. 

Tell  about  Silas  and  Timothy. 


CHAPTER  CI 

PAULAS  THIRD  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY 

Morning  Lesson — Fourth  Sunday  in  December 

"This  afternoon,"  said  Uncle  John,  when  the  friends  had 
gathered,  "we  talk  about  Paul's  third  missionary  journey."  "I 
shouldn't  have  thought  Paul  would  have  wanted  to  take  another 
missionary  journey.  Uncle,"  said  Pau-line".  "Paul,  dear  child," 
said  Uncle  John,  "was  not  thinking  of  himself  but  of  God's  work. 
He  went  where  the  spirit  led  him. 

"He  went  overland  this  time.  We  do  not  know  what  he  did 
jfirst,  nor  the  places  he  visited,  until  he  came  to  the  city  of  Eph'e- 
sus.  It  is  evident,  however,  that  he  revisited  the  churches  he  had 
established,  cheering  the  people,  and  urging  them  to  be  faithful. 

"At  Eph'e-sus,  Paul  performed  many  miracles,  preached 
Je'sus  and  comforted  many  a  heart.  From  Eph'e-sus  he  went 
again  to  Mac-e-do'ni-a,  and  from  there  again  to  Greece.  At 
each  place  he  felt  it  would  be  his  last  visit,  and  he  wanted  to  do 
all  the  good  he  could. 

"From  Greece,  he  went  to  an  island  not  far  from  Eph'e-sus, 
and  sent  for  the  Elders  of  the  church  at  Eph'e-sus,  to  meet  him. 
On  their  arrival,  Paul  bade  them  good-bye,  saying:  he  should  see 
their  faces  no  more.  They  wept,  feeling  that  they  could  not  let 
him  go. 

"Paul  then  took  ship  for  Pat'a-ra,  and  then  another  ship  for 
Tyre.  When  he  had  visited  the  church  there  he  pressed  on  to 
Caes-a-re'a.  Everywhere  the  people  tried  to  persuade  Paul  not 
to  go  to  Je-ru'sa-lem,  for  they  knew  that  his  life  was  in  danger. 
But  he  would  go,  and  as  men  were  added  to  the  company,  from  al- 
most every  place  that  he  stopped,  quite  a  nimiber  went  with  him 
up  to  Je-ru'sa-lem.  This  ended  Paul's  third  and  last  missionary 
journey." 

313 


CHAPTER  CII 

LAST  DAYS  OF  PAUL 

Afternoon  Lesson 

"To-day,  dear  children  and  friends,  we  come  to  our  last  talk 
about  the  a-pos'tle  Paul,"  said  Uncle  John.  "Soon  after  his  ar- 
rival in  Je-ru'sa-lem,  he  visited  the  Tem'ple  with  some  of  the 
brethren  who  had  come  from  the  various  churches  with  him. 

"Paul  was  now  known  all  over  the  world.  The  feast  of 
Pen'te-cost  was  at  hand,  and  pilgrims  from  all  parts  were  in 
Je-ru'sa-lem.  Enemies,  seeing  Paul,  cried  out  that  he  defiled  the 
Tem'ple  by  his  presence,  and  they  then  rushed  and  dragged  him 
from  the  building. 

"Overlooking  the  Tem'ple  grounds  were  the  barracks  of  the 
Ro'man  soldiers.  When  the  officer  heard  the  uproar,  he  hastened 
down  with  troops  and  rescued  Paul.  On  the  way  to  the  barracks, 
Paul  asked  the  privilege  of  addressing  the  people. 

"He  spoke  from  the  steps.  They  listened  till  he  said,  'Je'sus 
had  commanded  him  to  preach  to  the  Gen'tiles.'  Then  the  up- 
roar broke  out  again.  The  officer,  not  understanding  the  He'brew 
tongue,  which  Paul  was  using,  could  not  comprehend  the  change 
in  the  people.  A  moment  before,  they  were  listening  attentively, 
now  they  were  in  an  uproar.  He  commanded  that  Paul  be  taken 
into  the  castle  and  examined,  meaning  that  he  was  to  be  beaten. 

"Whilst  binding  him,  he  said  to  the  officer :  *Is  it  lawful  for 
thee  to  scourge  a  Ro'man  and  uncondemned  man?'  This  was  a 
serious  offence,"  said  Uncle  John,  "and  the  officer  hastened  to 
his  superior,  warning  him  that  Paul  was  a  Ro'man  citizen. 

"The  chief  captain  came  and  asked  Paul  if  he  was  a  Ro'man. 
At  Paul's  reply,  the  captain  said:  'I  purchased  my  citizenship 
with  a  large  sum  of  money.'  Paul  said:  'I  was  free  born.*  The 
captain  now  knew  that  a  serious  offence  had  been  committed  in 
binding  Paul,  a  Ro'man  citizen. 

314 


Last  Days  of  Paul  315 

"The  next  day  the  great  Jew'ish  council  met.  Paul,  you  re- 
member, had  been  a  member  when  he  first  started  out  in  life, 
before  he  became  a  Christian.  He  was  permitted  to  address  these 
men,  his  speech  divided  the  council,  so  that  they  parted  at  odds 
with  one  another. 

"In  the  meantime,  over  forty  men  had  bound  themselves  to 
kill  Paul.  But  Paul's  nephew,  learning  of  this,  told  Paul.  Paul 
called  an  officer,  asking  him  to  take  the  young  man  to  the  chief 
captain,  who,  when  he  heard  it,  decided  to  send  Paul  to  Caes-a- 
re'a,  where  Fe'lix,  the  Ro'man  governor,  lived.  So  he  sent  to 
Fe'lix  a  letter,  setting  forth  the  details  of  Paul's  imprisonment. 
Nine  o'clock  that  same  night,  he  sent  Paul  from  the  city,  with 
a  company  of  soldiers,  numbering  four  hundred  and  seventy 
men,  divided  as  follows:  two  hundred  infantry,  two  hundred 
spearmen,  and  seventy  horsemen.  Paul  was  also  provided  with 
a  horse. 

"The  footmen  accompanied  him  till  morning,  when  they  re- 
turned, leaving  the  seventy  horsemen  to  complete  the  journey 
with  Paul.  Five  days  later,  Paul's  accusers  accompanied  by  an 
orator,  went  down  to  Caes-a-re'a  to  argue  against  Paul.  Paul 
proved  his  innocence,  and  whilst  the  governor  did  not  release  him, 
gave  him  liberty  to  go  abroad  and  to  receive  his  friends.  Paul 
remained  a  prisoner  at  Caes-a-re'a  for  two  years,  and  would 
doubtless  have  remained  so  longer,  but  Fe'lix  was  removed  for 
evil  conduct  and  succeeded  by  a  man  named  Fes'tus. 

"Soon  as  Fes'tus  took  office,  the  enemies  of  Paul  went  again 
to  renew  their  charge.  Paul  again  made  his  defence,  but  as  Fes'- 
tus  did  not  seem  inclined  to  act  upon  evidence,  Paul  appealed  to 
Cae'sar.    This  ended  his  trials  in  the  Ho'ly  Land. 

''About  this  time,  A-grip'pa  II,  the  king  of  the  Jews,  and  his 
wife  Ber-ni'ce,  came  up  to  Caes-a-re'a  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
new  governor.  Wondering  what  he  should  do  to  entertain  his 
guests,  Fes'tus  thought  of  Paul.    A-grip'pa  was  deeply  interested 


316  Last  Days  of  Paul 

in  the  prisoner,  and  the  next  day  Paul  was  invited  to  speak. 
With  unusual  eloquence,  Paul  set  forth  his  life.  In  the  midst  of 
his  speech,  Fes'tus  remarked  that  Paul  was  mad.  Paul  now 
turned  to  the  King,  asking  him  if  he  did  not  believe  ?  The  King 
then  made  that  ever  memorable  answer :  'Almost  thou  persuadest 
me  to  be  a  Christian.' 

"Did  they  let  Paul  go  free.  Uncle?"  asked  Pau-line'.  "No, 
Paul  was  now  sent  to  Rome  with  letters  to  Cae'sar,"  said  Uncle 
John.  "The  officer  in  charge  was  most  courteous.  The  ship  drift- 
ed, and  was  driven  by  a  storm  for  fourteen  days.  Paul  comforted 
the  crew  by  saying  the  ship  will  be  lost,  but  all  will  be  saved.  On 
the  last  night  the  sailors  discovered  land.  At  daylight  they 
hoisted  the  anchor  and  let  the  ship  go  ashore.  Just  as  Paul  had 
said,  everybody  aboard  was  saved. 

"The  people  on  the  island  were  hospitable,  and  built  a  fire  for 
the  passengers  to  warm  themselves.  Now,  whilst  Paul  stood 
there,  a  viper  leaped  from  the  wood  fastening  itself  on  his  hand. 
He  shook  it  off  into  the  fire.  The  people  said,  he  must  be  a  very 
bad  man,  for  he  had  only  escaped  the  sea,  to  be  killed  by  the  ser- 
pent. They  expected  that  the  poison  would  cause  his  body  to 
swell,  and  that  he  would  fall  down  dead.  Great  was  their  sur- 
prise, to  see  that  the  viper  had  no  effect  whatever  on  him.  They 
then  thought  he  was  a  god. 

"When  he  left,  the  islanders  provided  him  with  everything 
that  was  necessary  for  the  journey.  Arriving  at  Na'ples,  he  be- 
gan his  journey  along  the  Ap'pi-an  Way,  the  great  Ro'man  road 
leading  to  Rome.  On  entering  Rome,  he  was  carried  direct  to  the 
city  barracks. 

"Paul  was  a  prisoner,  yet  he  was  permitted  to  live  in  his  own 
rented  house,  and  to  meet  his  friends.  At  the  end  of  two  years 
he  was  set  free." 

"I  am  so  glad,"  said  Pau-line'.  "Was  he  arrested  again?" 
"Yes,"  said  Uncle  John,  "on  the  19th  of  Ju-ly'  A.  D.,  a  terrible 


Last  Days  of  Paul  317 

fire  broke  out  in  Rome,  and  much  of  the  city  was  destroyed.  It 
is  almost  certain  that  the  city  was  set  on  fii'e  by  Em'per-or  Ne'ro, 
but  when  it  assumed  such  vast  proportions,  he  laid  the  crime  on 
the  Christians. 

"Paul,  though  innocent,  was  again  cast  into  prison.  Whilst 
in  prison,  he  wrote  another  long  letter  to  Tim'o-thy,  called  Paul's 
Second  E-pis'tle  to  Tim'o-thy.  He  wrote,  asking  Tim'o-thy  to 
bring  his  cloak,  which  years  before  he  had  left  at  Tar'sus,  also 
some  writings,  and  his  friend  John  Mark.  So  John  came  with 
Tim'o-thy,  to  comfort  the  last  days  of  Paul,  who  was  now  an  old 
man. 

"Paul  was  taken  before  a  magistrate,  and  then  led  forth  to 
the  place  of  execution. 

"He  knelt  down,  the  sword  flashed,  and  the  sacred  head  of 
the  a-pos'tle  rolled  into  the  dust.  Thus  Paul  gave  up  his  life  for 
Je'sus." 

"What  did  they  do  with  his  body,  Uncle?"  asked  Pau-line'. 
"That,  said  Uncle  John,  is  at  rest  in  Rome."  "What  became  of 
Ne'ro?"  asked  Paul.  "Ne'ro,"  said  Uncle  John,  "with  all  his 
wealth  and  power,  perished  soon  after.  The  people  rose  up  and 
slew  him.  Not  the  Christians,  but  his  own  people.  The  Chris- 
tian church  had  now  begun  to  flourish,  and  among  its  members 
were  some  of  Ne'ro's  relatives. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  CII 

What  did  the  officer  command  to  be  done  with  Paul.'' 
How  did  Paul  escape  the  scourging? 

Tell  where  Paul  was  sent  and  the  guard  that  went  with  him. 
Tell  of  his  speech  before  King  Agrippa. 
What  was  now  done  with  Paul? 

When  the  storm  was  raging  how  did  Paul  comfort  the  crew? 
What  happened  at  the  end  of  two  years  ? 
Why  was  Paul  arrested  again  ? 

Tell  what  Paul  did  while  in  prison?  What  did  he  ask  Timothy  to 
bring? 


CHAPTER  CHI 

JAMES^  THE  BROTHER  OF  JE'SUS 

Morning  Lesson — Fifth  Sunday  in  December 

"This  morning,"  said  Uncle  John,  "is  the  last  Sunday  morn- 
ing of  the  old  year.  We  have  finished  the  life  of  Je'sus  and  the 
a-pos'tles.  They  lived  beautiful  hves,  denying  themselves  many 
pleasures,  and  suiFering  much  for  righteousness.  When  you  are 
older,  my  dear  ones,  I  hope  you  will  take  the  Blessed  Bible  itself, 
and  read  again  and  again,  these  stories,  all  of  them,  until  they  are 
as  familiar  as  are  those  of  Wash'ing-ton,  Queen  Vic-to'ri-a,  Em'- 
per-or  William,  Roos'e-velt,  Laurier,  (Lor-e-a')  and  other  great 
people. 

"I  have  saved  the  time  to-day,  to  talk  a  little  about  the  man 
who  was  not  an  apostle,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word,  yet  he  did 
so  much  work  in  the  early  church,  and  did  it  so  well,  that  I  feel 
you  ought  to  know  something  about  him.  His  name  was  James, 
a  brother  of  Je'sus.    He  was  sometimes  called  the  Just." 

Several  of  the  children  said,  "Why,  we  did  not  know  that 
Je'sus  had  any  brothers,  did  he?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  rephed  Uncle  John,  "we  will  let  Paul  read  about 
it.  Paul,  please  turn  to  Mat'thew,  13th  chapter,  beginning  with 
the  54th  verse."  Paul  read  as  follows:  "And  when  he  was  come 
into  his  own  country,  he  taught  them  in  their  synagogue,  inas- 
much, that  they  were  astonished,  and  said:  'Whence  hath  this 
man  this  wisdom  and  these  mighty  works?' 

"Is  not  this  the  carpenter's  son,  is  not  his  mother  called  Ma'ry, 
and  his  brethren  James,  and  Jo'ses  and  Si'mon  and  Ju'das  and 
his  sisters,  are  they  not  all  with  us?" 

"That  will  do,  Paul,"  said  Uncle  John,  "y^u  will  notice  that 
this  account  gives  us  a  list  of  this  family.  James  is  mentioned 
first,  and  while  but  little  is  said,  we  naturally  infer  that  he  was 
the  oldest  son. 

318 


James,  Brother  of  Je'sus  319 

"After  the  disciples  had  gone  from  Je-ru'sa-lem,  and  Pe'ter 
had  also  departed,  (Acts  12:  17)  James  occupied  the  most  promi- 
nent position  in  the  church.  He  presided  at  the  apostolic  council, 
where  his  wisdom  prevailed,  and  the  church  adopted  measures 
which  satisfied  the  entire  Christian  world. 

"He  was  not  only  a  great  orator  but  a  brilliant  writer,  giving 
to  the  world  a  long  letter,  called  'The  E-pis'tle  of  James.'  The 
design  of  this  e-pis'tle  was  to  correct  errors  into  which  some  of 
the  disciples  had  fallen.  He  also  strengthened  their  hope  and 
faith. 

"He  tried  to  lead  his  unbelieving  countrymen  to  repent,  to 
tui'n  toward  God,  and  to  put  their  faith  in  the  Mes-si'ah. 

"James  was  a  practical  Christian;  he  told  people  to  show  their 
faith  by  their  good  works,  just  as  a  tree  shows  its  worth  by  the 
kind  of  fruit  it  bears. 

"It  is  quite  remarkable,"  said  Uncle  John,  "that  in  this  entire 
e-pis'tle,  the  name  of  our  Blessed  Lord  appears  but  twice.  But 
when  James  mentions  Je'sus,  it  is  with  the  greatest  reverence,  as 
in  James  1:1,  where  he  speaks  of  him  as  his  Divine  Master,  and 
in  James  2:1,  where  he  calls  Je'sus,  the  Lord  of  Glory, 

"So  we  see  that  he  not  only  loved  Je'sus  as  a  brother,  but  he 
reverenced  and  followed  Him  as  the  Mes-si'ah  of  the  world. 

"James,  like  many  other  eminent,  brave,  and  faithful  early 
Christians,  became  the  object  of  persecution,  and  died  a  martyr 
to  the  name  of  our  Blessed  Lord." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  CHAPTER  CHI 

About  whom  is  this  lesson? 

Tell  the  names  of  Jesus'  brothers  and  sisters. 

Who  was  probably  the  oldest  next  to  James  ? 

What  position  did  James  occupy  In  the  church? 

Tell  us  something  about  James  as  a  writer. 

Why  did  he  write  his  epistle? 

How  many  times  did  James  mention  Jesus? 

How  did  James  die? 


CHAPTER  CIV 

THE  SANC'TU-ARY  HABIT 

Afternoon  Lesson 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  tenderness  on  the  part  of  all  who 
gathered  together  on  the  last  afternoon,  because  it  was  not  only 
the  last  lesson  they  were  to  enjoy  together,  but  the  last  Sun-day  in 
the  old  year.  Uncle  John  suggested  that  they  sing  the  old,  beau- 
tiful, and  familiar  hymn:  "Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds,  our  hearts 
in  Christian  love."    This  was  responded  to  with  much  feeling. 

When  the  last  strains  of  music  had  died  away,  he  said:  "I 
would  like  to  impress  upon  you  to-day,  a  habit  of  Je'sus;  which 
the  disciples  continued,  and  one,  I  hope,  you  will  adopt  and  fol- 
low, all  your  lives,  both  on  earth  and  in  heaven.  I  say,  in  heaven, 
for  I  am  fully  persuaded  from  some  words  of  Je'sus,  that  the 
beautiful  customs  of  earthly  life  are  to  be  continued  in  heaven. 

"I  feel  quite  sure  that  this  habit  of  Je'sus,  was  the  secret  of 
that  great  power,  and  wonderful  knowledge,  which  surprised  the 
people  of  the  world,  in-so-much,  that  they  kept  asking  where  He 
obtained  his  education  and  power,  having  never  been  to  school. 

"I  will  ask  you,  dear  children,  to  learn  the  verse  I  am  going  to 
give  you,  Luke  IV:  16,  so  that  you  may  have  it  in  mind  and  fol- 
low it  forever,  just  as  Je'sus,  the  a-pos'tles,  and  all  disciples  are 
doing.  This  is  the  verse :  'And  he  came  to  Naz'a-reth,  where  he 
was  brought  up,  and,  as  was  his  custom,  he  went  into  the  syna- 
gogue on  the  Sab'bath  day.'  That  was  His  habit,  and  as  you  read 
the  lives  of  the  a-pos'tles  in  the  book  of  Acts,  you  will  find  that 
they  followed  this  habit  of  our  blessed  Lord. 

They  then  sang  in  concert,  that  old,  beautiful,  hymn,  "God 
be  with  you  till  we  meet  again."  Then  all  went  their  various  ways, 
not  knowing  whether  this  next  meeting  would  be  on  earth,  or  in 
that  heavenly  home,  "where  many  mansions  be." 

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